Director James Gunn, producer Peter Safran named to lead DC film and TV studios

James Gunn will oversee the creative direction of the brand, including film, television and animation, starting on Nov 1. PHOTO: JAMESGUNN/INSTAGRAM

LOS ANGELES – Warner Bros Discovery has hired American film-maker James Gunn and film producer Peter Safran as co-chairmen and chief executives of DC Studios, making them the new stewards for superhero characters including Batman and Superman. 

Gunn and Safran, both 56, will oversee the creative direction of the brand, including film, television and animation, starting on Nov 1, according to a statement from the company on Tuesday. They will report to Warner Bros Discovery chief executive David Zaslav. 

The appointments mark the end of a search that has been closely watched across Hollywood.

Mr Zaslav has had control of the DC brand since April, when a merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery was completed. He has been implementing his vision for the entertainment company, which has included cancelling projects and laying off staff, part of US$3 billion (S$4.2 billion) in cost savings he promised as part of the merger.

Despite a vast stable of well-known DC Comics characters, Warner Bros has been unable to match the success of Walt Disney’s rival superhero studio Marvel, which has produced Avengers: Endgame (2019), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) and other mega-hits.

Both Gunn and Safran have experience with entertainment based on comic books.

Gunn directed The Suicide Squad (2021) for DC Studios and three Guardians Of The Galaxy movies (2014 to present) for Marvel, with the third Guardians movie set for release next May. 

Safran has produced numerous Warner Bros films, including two Aquaman films (2018 to present) and two Shazam! movies (2019 to present).

The hiring is a redemption of sorts for Gunn.

He was fired in 2018 after the right-leaning website Daily Caller and other conservative commentators published years-old tweets that included jokes about the Holocaust, paedophilia, overweight people and violence against women.

He apologised and was rehired by Disney after the cast voiced their support for him. BLOOMBERG, REUTERS

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