A new rumor claims James Gunn and Peter Safran are still expected to run DC Studios once Paramount takes control of Warner Bros. Discovery, but that runs directly against what Cosmic Book News has been told for months.
Scooper ThwipT_ posted on X, “As of now once Paramount takes control of WB the plan is still for James Gunn and Peter Safran to run DC.”
The claim is worth noting because it pushes back against the bigger industry chatter surrounding Gunn’s future at DC Studios, especially as the Paramount-WBD deal moves forward with major Middle Eastern backing.
New rumor says Gunn and Safran stay at DC
According to ThwipT_, the plan remains for Gunn and Safran to continue running DC once Paramount takes control of Warner Bros.
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For now, nothing has been announced by Paramount, Warner Bros. Discovery, DC Studios, Gunn, or Safran. Gunn is also still actively working inside the DCU. Supergirl, Clayface, and Lanterns are all in the pipeline, and Gunn recently started filming Man of Tomorrow.
On the surface, the new rumor fits the public-facing version of DC Studios. Gunn and Safran are still in charge. The slate is still moving. DC is still acting like the current plan is the plan.
Behind the scenes, though, Cosmic Book News has heard a very different story.
Cosmic Book News has heard Gunn is out
Cosmic Book News previously reported that our insiders said Gunn will be out as Head of DC Studios once Paramount takes over Warner Bros.
Our info was also backed up by John Campea, who said he is “100% sure” Gunn will be out by the end of the year and could return to Marvel as Kevin Feige’s eventual successor. Campea made it clear he had not spoken to Gunn and was giving his own read on the situation, but his comments lined up with what we had already heard.
At WonderCon in March, Cosmic Book News was told more of the same: Gunn is still expected to be out at DC, and it could happen before Man of Tomorrow is released.
We were also told the SnyderVerse will be back, with Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan potentially returning under the new ownership structure.
Worth noting is that Gunn has never shot down any of our insiders’ info. What actually happened is that, following our reports, he went to YouTube and Bloomberg in what appeared to be an attempt to save his job. He also confirmed by questioning if he would be allowed to finish his DCU plans.
Politics may be the real issue
The gist of what Cosmic Book News has heard is that Gunn’s politics are part of the problem.
Donald Trump has supported Paramount, particularly when it comes to CNN and the broader media landscape. Gunn’s political history does not appear to fit the direction the new power structure could take once Paramount controls Warner Bros. Discovery.
The White House also tweeted the Trump Superman meme on the day of Gunn’s film release, including “Truth. Justice. And the American Way,” while Gunn’s movie skipped out on the pro-American phrase the Man of Steel is known for.
True: none of this has been confirmed by Paramount or DC. Still, the chatter keeps pointing in the same direction: Gunn may be useful to the current Warner Bros. Discovery regime, but the next regime may not view him the same way.
Saudis reportedly want Zack Snyder back
Cosmic Book News has also been told the Saudis want Zack Snyder back in a big DC event to rival Marvel.
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Recent developments around the Paramount-WBD deal appear to support the larger direction of our reporting. The Saudi Public Investment Fund is now part of the investment group tied to the deal, along with other Middle Eastern investors.
Snyder also looks to be moving closer to that orbit. He is expected to direct Brawlers next, a UFC-themed project with Saudi ties, and he recently teased being on the Paramount lot.
For SnyderVerse fans, that is where things get interesting. If the money wants Snyder, and if the new ownership structure wants a different DC direction, Gunn staying in complete control of DC Studios starts to look less certain.
Gunn’s role may already be shrinking
Following the release of Superman, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos commented on the movie’s shortened theatrical window and said films that underperform often move faster to streaming.
Cosmic Book News previously covered that as confirmation that Superman underperformed, just as our insiders first said.
The trades also backed up what we had been hearing: Gunn’s DC focus appears to have narrowed to his “Superman Family Saga.”
Gunn was originally sold as the “Kevin Feige” of DC Studios, overseeing the entire connected universe with Safran. If the new plan is simply to keep him focused on Superman-related projects while other DC corners open up elsewhere, that is not the same level of control.
It also lines up with recent reports suggesting Gunn and Safran may not retain the same power under Paramount. Puck reportedly noted that directors and projects could move differently if the Ellisons take over, with Zach Cregger already discussed as someone who could do a DC movie under Paramount.
DC future remains unclear
So where does that leave things?
ThwipT_ says the plan is still for James Gunn and Peter Safran to run DC after Paramount takes control of WB.
Cosmic Book News has heard the opposite.
Campea has also predicted Gunn will leave. WonderCon sources told us the same thing.
The Saudi investment angle also continues to line up with what we were told about Snyder’s possible return.
Right now, Gunn is still at DC Studios. The slate is still moving. Man of Tomorrow is filming. Supergirl, Clayface, and Lanterns are still coming.
The real question is what happens once Paramount actually has control.
If the current DC structure survives untouched, ThwipT_ will be proven right.
If Gunn ends up pushed out, moved aside, or reduced to his Superman corner, it will be another sign that the Paramount-WBD deal is changing DC in a much bigger way than fans have been told.
Matt McGloin is the editor-in-chief and publisher of Cosmic Book News, the independent entertainment news site he founded in 2008. He covers movies, comics, TV, video games and pop culture and has reported major industry scoops over the years, including revealing the Avengers: Endgame title ahead of its official announcement. Through Cosmic Book News, he helped Marvel Comics promote Guardians of the Galaxy and Nova through exclusive previews, artwork, and interviews, with the site also quoted in solicitations and on comic covers. He also reported on Marvel’s Daredevil: Born Again retooling before it was later confirmed by the trades.