As Warner Bros. prepares to be absorbed into Netflix in an eighty-two point seven billion dollar deal, the biggest question among comic-book fans and industry watchers is simple: What happens to DC Studios? What happens to James Gunn and Peter Safran?
For the past month, speculation has swirled around whether Gunn and Safran, the duo charged with rebooting and unifying the DC Universe, would remain in place amid the corporate handover. Both men had remained publicly focused on production, but hints of uncertainty crept in when Gunn posted a cryptic message after WBD first began entertaining bids.
Now, thanks to a new Bloomberg profile on the DC Studios chiefs, the picture is significantly clearer.
Gunn and Safran Will Stay — With Contracts Extended
Bloomberg reports that Gunn and Safran’s contracts, previously set to expire in October 2026, have been extended through spring 2027. When they were initially named co-CEOs of DC Studios in 2022, the Hollywood Reporter noted they had four-year terms; the new details indicate that WBD quietly extended their tenure by several months.
The extension aligns with comments from outgoing Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, who could not have been more effusive about the duo’s impact: “The work of James and Peter, their creative vision, it’s compelling and a great economic return. There’s no storytelling content that we have that provides a bigger palette than DC, and there’s nobody around right now who can tell these stories with the same imagination and excitement.”
Unfazed by the Netflix Deal
Despite the seismic sale, Bloomberg also reports that Gunn and Safran are “not letting larger corporate goings-on alter their plans.” Inside the studio, the pair are continuing to develop scripts and build out the long-planned DC Universe roadmap.
Peter Safran went a step further, crediting Gunn’s creative brain as the reason they’re not worried: “What makes us irreplaceable is truly the mind of James Gunn. He’s been the architect of this grand vision.”
Gunn distilled that sentiment with his usual blunt precision: “If you’re gonna make a Batman movie, it better be f—ing awesome.”
Gunn Stresses: Theatrical Still Matters
While the Netflix transaction has raised concerns about whether Warner’s big-screen franchises will migrate to a streaming-first strategy, Gunn made it clear where he stands: “The communal, theatrical experience is something that is incredibly important and remarkably well suited to our big spectacle films.”
His comments underline a key tension in the proposed acquisition, one that has already drawn scrutiny from theater owners, guilds, and competitors, even as Netflix has pledged to continue Warner Bros.’ current theatrical release strategy.
Industry Signals Suggest They’re Staying Put
John Campea of The John Campea Show said he contacted a source following the sale announcement. According to Campea, Warner Bros. Film Group co-heads Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy are expected to stay. And so is James Gunn, “James Gunn, co-CEO of DC Studios, is staying, leading the DC Universe creative.”
The source was less definitive on Safran but indicated that the internal assumption is that he will remain.
The Road Ahead
Bloomberg notes that Gunn and Safran’s most significant achievement thus far has been aligning DC’s films, television, animation, comics, and gaming in a unified creative strategy, something Warner Bros. has pursued unsuccessfully for more than a decade.
Whether Netflix’s acquisition ultimately accelerates or complicates that mission remains unknown. But for now, the architects of the DC Universe reboot are locked in through 2027, and they’re not blinking.
Supergirl, Lanterns and Clayface are coming in 2026. Man of Tomorrow is set to hit theaters July 9, 2027.
The Geek is a working screenwriter, director and screenwriting instructor.
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