An era in superhero-related media is officially coming to an end, as James Gunn and Peter Safran are officially stepping down from their posts as the co-CEOs of DC Studios. This surprising news arrives only a few weeks after the finalization of the Paramount/Warner Bros. merger. At this point, the news is still very fresh and, based on social media, the responses to this major development vary tremendously. Interestingly enough, amid all that, one fan brought up a wild fact regarding Gunn’s tenure, and I’m feeling so many emotions.
Gunn and Safran joined DC Studios in 2022 and, from there, they began to construct their DCU continuity, which was to span movies, TV and video games. The pair eventually developed a ten-year plan and, up to this point, that strategy has yielded films like Superman and Supergirl as well as shows like Creature Commandos and Lanterns. The wild comment that was recently shared by an X user had nothing to do with any projects like that, though. Instead, they marked the end of this chapter by naming a long-gestating flick:
Very funny/sad that the entire Gunn era took place between THE BATMAN and THE BATMAN PART 2.
I’m honestly at a loss for words here, as this fact is absolutely correct. Matt Reeves’ The Batman was released in March 2022 months before Safran and Gunn were hired. The sequel was announced in April of that year and, since then, the movie has seen a variety of delays and is currently set to hit theaters in early 2028. On the one hand, it’s understandable that someone would chuckle over the fact that this sequel’s development will have outlasted the Gunn/Safran era. But, on the other hand, I’m actually a bit sad.
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As someone who has been interested in the DCU thus far, I’m a bit disappointed over the possibility of another reboot. However, what really makes me sad about the fact pointed out in the social media is that it’s a reminder of just how long The Batman: Part II’s development has taken. Of course, I do understand the reasons, though, as the Hollywood strikes played a key role in that. Also, more recently, Reeves had to take a step back from the film to handle a personal matter, and Steven Soderbergh is stepping in to complete principal photography. Reeves isn’t leaving the movie entirely, though, as he’ll remain in touch with Soderbergh during the shoot and completely retake the reins during post-production.
It was just weeks ago that Reeves’ situation was announced and it was mentioned that he had support from Safran and Gunn. That’s just one detail that makes the news of their departure all the more surreal to me. Gunn posted about his exit on his Instagram and reflected on the highs of working for DC. Additionally, the filmmaker praised the various collaborators he had the chance to work with. Overall, Gunn – a longtime fan of DC Comics – seems to have a lot of gratitude for his time serving as co-CEO of the studio.
While James Gunn and Peter Safran will vacate their positions ahead of Jeremy Latcham’s arrival by December 1, their work within the DCU isn’t done just yet as, at the very least, he’s still in post-production on his Superman follow-up, Man of Tomorrow, which is set to be released amid the 2027 movie schedule. Also, Gunn and Safran are still credited as producers on The Batman’s sequel. I’m not sure what lies ahead for DC but, for now, I’m going to be glued to my screen to see if any other fans drop any other wild facts.
Man of Tomorrow soars into theaters on July 9, 2027, while The Batman: Part II opens on February 18, 2028.
