It's barely been two months since the controversial Paramount and Warner Bros. merger, and we've already got a shockingly unexpected ouster: Co-CEOs of the rebooted DC Universe, James Gunn and Peter Safran, are stepping down from that role despite the Hollywood rumor mill assuming that the duo would be safe.

It's unclear whether the pair chose to resign or were forced out, or what will happen to their planned slate of projects beyond 2028's Superman: Man of Tomorrow, which is in post-production. Producer Jeremy Latcham—a protege of Marvel's Kevin Feige who worked with Gunn on Guardians of the Galaxy among other MCU films—will replace them. Per Gunn and Safran's joint statement:

Four years ago, we set out to unite DC under one creative vision. In that time, we helped restore Superman to the heart of DC, while opening new doors and telling new stories in film and television with Peacemaker, Creature Commandos, Lanterns and Clayface. We’re immensely proud of the team that turned that ambition into something real, including the actors, crews and executives we had the opportunity to collaborate with. We’ve shared a creative history with Jeremy going back to Marvel, and we’re eager to see the perspective he brings to DC’s next chapter. We’re excited to return to what drew us to this job in the first place, which is telling the stories we love, including the next chapter of Clark and Lex’s journey in Man of Tomorrow.

DCU fans are mourning the news and what it could mean for the franchise. My feelings are mixed. On the one hand, I'm on record that I’ve found the rebooted DC Universe films released thus far to be enjoyable but rather forgettable, even when the positives outweigh the negatives. (I have yet to see Clayface, which debuted to good reviews and a solid box office showing.) But HBO has done right by the DCU: I loved both seasons of Peacemaker; Lanterns is a shining beacon of what is possible when someone is allowed to get really creative within the genre; and I'm very much looking forward to next year's Jimmy Olsen (Skylar Gisondo) series The People v. Gorilla Grodd—described as a “mockumentary crime comedy superhero series.”

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