DC Studios/Skydance: Where Will Gunn & Safran Be After April 2027?
· BCPosted in: Comics, HBO, Max, Movies, Paramount+, TV | Tagged: dc comics, dc studios, Skydance
DC Studios/Skydance: Where Will Gunn & Safran Be After April 2027?
James Gunn and Peter Safran are Skydance's DC Studios co-Chairmen - but what happens after April 2027? Plus, some more DC Comics thoughts...
Published Tue, 06 Oct 2026 07:37:11 -0500
by Ray Flook
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Article Summary
- Skydance named James Gunn and Peter Safran to its CEO leadership team as DC Studios co-Chairmen ahead of the merger close.
- The big DC Studios question is what happens after April 2027, when Gunn and Safran’s current contracts expire.
- David Ellison reportedly backed the pair’s long-term DC Studios vision, telling them to keep doing what they’re doing.
- Safran’s Skydance bio may hint DC Studios could eventually expand to include DC Comics under its wider DCU strategy.
Shortly after we made the case that DC Studios should oversee DC Comics in the newly merged Paramount Skydance-Warner Bros. Discovery company, Skydance CEOs David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz announced on Monday that James Gunn and Peter Safran would be joining their CEO Business Leadership Team as Co-Chairmen of DC Studios. The news came a day before the Skydance deal is set to close, later today, with more details on the full leadership team expected. It will also be interesting to see whether Skydance hits the ground running by rolling out major announcements. But what about Gunn and Safran's long-term future with DC Studios and Skydance after April 2027, when their current contracts end?
Previously, it was reported that Ellison, Chief Financial Officer Dennis Cinelli, and Chief Strategy Officer Andy Gordon visited the set of Man of Tomorrow earlier this year. During the visit, the Paramount team was presented with Gunn and Safran's long-term vision for DC Studios and the DCU, with Ellison apparently liking what he heard. That reportedly led to Gunn and Safran meeting with Ellison last Thursday, with Ellison (according to one source) telling them to "keep doing what you're doing." Would it make sense to announce Gunn and Safran as continuing to lead DC Studios if there was a chance they would walk six months later (and four months before Man of Tomorrow is set to hit screens)?
And going back to the topics of DC Studios and DC Comics, we noticed that Safran's personal profile in Skydance's press release listed his DC Studios responsibilities as (in conjunction with Gunn) leading "the strategic and creative direction of the DC Universe across film, television, animation, themed entertainment, and gaming." While some are reading that to mean that DC Comics will remain separate from the studio side, it could also be a listing of current responsibilities – pending a possible new contract that could include additional responsibilities. Also, nothing says a decision like that would need to be made during the first week of Skydance's existence. As we see it, if anything, that rundown of responsibilities helps make the case for DC Comics joining DC Studios' DCU party. Let's see if Tuesday brings a bit more clarity on either front.
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