Gunn & Safran Stay At DC After Paramount Takeover

Gunn and Safran Stay at DC Studios with Deadline

Gunn and Safran stay at DC Studios after Paramount's WBD takeover — but the clock is ticking on their legacy.

By Overseas3 Oct 20261 min readUpdated 3 October 2026

James Gunn and Peter Safran are staying put at DC Studios — even as Paramount completes its takeover of Warner Bros Discovery. The news, confirmed by multiple trade sources, means the duo will keep steering the DC machine through its next phase, despite the seismic shift in ownership. No surprise: they’ve been on a roll since taking over in 2022, rebranding the studio like a Marvel-style hub with their own creative imprint.

And it’s not just branding, Superman (2025) made over $618 million globally, proving they can still deliver blockbuster muscle. Now, with Man of Tomorrow shooting for a July 2027 release, and Clayface hitting theatres October 23, they’re already deep into the pipeline. Even The Batman Part II, Matt Reeves’ follow-up set for February 2028, remains in motion under their watch.

But it’s not all box office glory. Supergirl flopped hard last summer with just $126.4 million worldwide. A reminder that not every arrow hits the bullseye. Still, the HBO Max series Lanterns is thriving. Its third episode pulled in 10 million global viewers in three days, and the total audience has now passed 20 million.

That’s a win, especially when you consider the streaming landscape is no longer forgiving. The real question isn’t whether Gunn and Safran are staying, it’s what happens after Superman II. Rumours swirl that their exit could be announced post-release, possibly to clear the way for a new era. Some fans aren’t waiting.

One tweet called the dog rescue scene in the first film ‘the death knell’. Another suggested Sam Raimi might finally get his shot. But for now, the show goes on. And the next thing on the calendar?

October 23.