James Gunn Explains Leaving DC Studios: "Tiring"

Following the surprising announcement that he would be stepping down as head of DC Studios alongside Peter Safran, director James Gunn released an official statement on his social media explaining his reasons. In the text, he thanks Warner Bros. for the opportunity and details his decision – see below:

"Wow, what a four years. Thank to all of you who have supported me and Peter in our time as the heads of DC Studios," Gunn wrote at the beginning of the statement.

The text continues:

"When I was a kid growing up in Manchester, Missouri, I used to write and draw my own comics with a mix of DC Comics characters and my own characters. Having full access to those characters to do whatever we wanted was a dream come true. I didn't know if I wanted this job when it was offered to me, but I simply couldn't pass up the unique opportunity. I'm glad took the job". 

There have been many so many highs along the way: the release of Superman and Clayface, making Peacemaker, readings the scripts for The People Vs, the entire process of Man of Tomorrow, which thus far has been the best filmmaking experience of my life so far, and numerous other moments."

The highest of the highs have been all the talented and wonderful people I worked with and grown to love: the DC Studios crew, our talented collaborators, our casts and crews, and the boisterous and hilarious fans. And the best part of all has been working with Peter Safran, the smartest and most competent person I know. You have been the best partner a person could ask for and, more than that, a truly good friend.

But what only the people closest to me have known over the past four years is that my time at DC Studios has been tiring, to say the least. I dislike the at-times corporate nature of the job (thanks to Peter for handling most of it). I'm always a very hard worker, but as a filmmaker, I would a least get to take short breaks to unwind, and I've even stole that time from both myself and my loved ones over the past four years (Jenn, I love you, I'm so sorry, and you don't need to feel guilty for being the happiest of people that I'm no longer doing this job). And the thing my ADHD hyperfocus has had the most difficulty with has been dividing my time between projects I'm incredibly passionate about and the ones I'm not so much and all the things I have to do as a studio head.

So yes, I will to miss the people around me, and I will miss being the co-caretaker of these great characters, but I'm also incredibly relieved and excited to get back to pure filmmaking.

That's not to say Peter and I are immediately done with DC or superheroes. We have Man of Tomorrow coming out this summer. And we've just been engaged on another DC project, which I'm writing, and we'll see where it goes after that. And, of course, the characters we set up will live on.

Thank you so very, very much for embracing the characters and stories we've put on screen.

Love and gratitude,

James Gunn

According to The Hollywood Reporter , Skydance , which controls the division after acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery, has chosen Jeremy Latcham, a former Marvel executive, as the studio's new president and chief creative officer.