Nick Fury had his Avengers, Amanda Waller had her Suicide Squad and now Warner Bros. Discovery has two new leaders for its superhero team: James Gunn and Peter Safran.
As previously reported, Warner Bros. Discovery had been searching for someone to take the reins of its DC Studios in an effort to best capitalize on its deep bench of superhero properties, as Kevin Feige has for Marvel Studios.
In the end, Warner Bros. Discovery tapped its own dynamic duo: writer-director Gunn, and his Peacemaker and The Suicide Squad producer Safran. While the former is arguably most famous for his Guardians of the Galaxy films for Marvel Studios, the latter also produced the DC hero hits Aquaman and Shazam, as well as the successful Conjuring and Annabelle horror franchises.
The pair “will be responsible for the overall creative direction of the storied superhero franchise across film, TV, and animation under [a] new unified banner,” according to the company’s announcement.
In a shared statement, Gunn and Safran noted, “We’re honored to be the stewards of these DC characters we’ve loved since we were children” and that they’re aiming to “create an integrated, multilayered universe that still allows for the individual expression of the artists involved.”
They also commented, “Our commitment to Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Harley Quinn, and the rest of the DC stable of characters is only equaled by our commitment to the wonder of human possibility these characters represent. We’re excited to invigorate the theatrical experience around the world as we tell some of the biggest, most beautiful, and grandest stories ever told.”
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