Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn is finally taking the driver’s seat at DC Studios, along with The Suicide Squad producer Peter Safran. Both will act as co-CEOs and answer directly to David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery. Gunn and Safran will replace DC Films head, Walter Hamada.
DC Studios will serve as a new division under Warner Bros. In a post from The Hollywood Reporter, Gunn will oversee the creative side of the studio, while Safran will tackle the business part.
It is going to be a game-changer as James Gunn steps up into the executive position. There is not a lot of A-list directors who ascended from such high station. But, along with Gunn’s extensive knowledge of the inner workings of superhero movies and lengthy experience in the field of filmmaking, he has also found success in working for both Marvel Studios and DC Films.
Does James Gunn’s DC Studios Hint The Demise Of The Snyderverse?
Following such breaking news summoned avid supporters of Zack Snyder. Many believed that James Gunn taking over DC Studios meant the death of the Snyderverse. There are still fans who are hopeful for Snyder’s return. Twitter is currently flooded with posts pleading for Snyder’s comeback using hashtags such as #BringBackZackSnyder and #RestoreTheSnyderverse.
Even before the announcement of Gunn and Safran’s ascension as heads of DC Studios, Warner Bros. have been sending out reports on social media about its new plans for the DCEU starting with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Black Adam. The Internet went wild after the leak of Henry Cavill’s Superman cameo at the movie’s post-credit scene, revealing the beloved character’s return.
It’s not like Gunn and Safran are trying to remove all traces of Snyder’s works; after all, is that even possible? Superman, along with Wonder Woman and Aquaman, are all part of the Snyderverse. Although, it’s a different matter with The Batman and Joker franchises as they exist in their own universe.
Is There A Possibility For Zack Snyder To Return?
Let’s put it this way: James Gunn will oversee the entirety of DC Studios which comprises movies, television, and animated series. With a full workload like this, fans cannot expect him to write and direct movies. It opens a door for Zack Snyder to come in and continue his work with DC characters. In fact, Zaslav acknowledged Gunn and Safran’s close ties with the creative community, via THR:
“Their decades of experience in filmmaking, close ties to the creative community, and proven track record thrilling superhero fans around the globe make them uniquely qualified to develop a long-term strategy across film, TV, and animation, and take this iconic franchise to the next level of creative storytelling.”
It will only make more sense if Snyder chooses to work under DC Studios. Until there is an official report, fans need not worry about the future of DCEU. As for his Marvel projects, there have been talks that Gunn could still continue his labor with the studio even after wrapping up his work on Guardians of the Galaxy.
To wrap up, Warner Bros. executives Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy assured fans in their statement:
“James is a brilliant filmmaker and storyteller, and Peter is a tremendously successful and prolific producer, and to have them both committing to work together to forge this new era for DC is a literal dream come true. We all share a very similar sensibility, and passion for this universe and the stars couldn’t have aligned any better. We can’t wait to get started, dig in, and collaborate with these unmatched creative minds.”
In the interim, DC has already released a series of upcoming projects, and fans could only hope that this new era of DC Studios under Gunn and Safran would revive the hype for superhero movies.
