James Gunn Confirms New DCU Project After Stepping Down As CEO of DC Studios

James Gunn is officially stepping down as co-CEO of DC Studios alongside partner Peter Safran. The move came as a shock to fans of the DCU, but the good news is that Gunn will still work on another major project after his Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow. Gunn kickstarted his DC reboot with the Gods and Monsters slate announcement in early 2023 and has since delivered major projects like Superman, Supergirl, and Clayface. Although Gunn is leaving, his mystery project after the Superman sequel will help shape DC storytelling across film and television. 

James Gunn, on Monday, November 9, took to social media platform Threads, where he often interacts with fans, to announce his decision to step down, describing his time on the job as "a dream come true." The news came as a surprise, as Gunn had only recently been confirmed to stay on at DC Studios under David Ellison's Skydance after the long-gestating Paramount-Warner Bros. acquisition was finalized: 

"Oh, boy. What a four years. Thanks to all of you who have supported me and Peter in our time as the heads of DC Studios. When I was a kid growing up in Manchester, Missouri, I used to write and draw my own comics with a mix of DC Comics characters and my own characters. Having full access to these characters to do whatever we wanted has been a dream come true. I didn't know if I wanted this job when it was offered to me, but I just couldn't pass up the unique opportunity. I'm glad I took the job." 

He went on to list the highs of his tenure and saved his warmest words for Safran, calling him "the smartest and most competent person I know" and "a truly good friend": 

"There have been so many highs along the way - releasing Superman and Clayface, making Peacemaker, reading the scripts to The People Vs, the entire process of Man of Tomorrow, which thus far has been the best filmmaking experience of my life, and numerous other moments. The highest of the highs have been all the talented and wonderful people I've worked with and grown to love: the DC Studios crew, our talented collaborators, our casts and crews, and the boisterous and hilarious fans. And the best part of all has been working with Peter Safran, the smartest and most competent person I know. You've been the best partner a person could ask for, and, more so, a truly good friend." 

Gunn also admitted the job wore him down. He said his time at DC Studios was "trying, to say the least," pointing to the corporate side of the role and the personal time he sacrificed over the past four years: 

"But what only the closest people to me have known over the past four years is my time at DC Studios has been trying, to say the least. I dislike the at-times corporate nature of the job (thanks to Peter for taking the brunt of that). I'm always a very hard worker, but as a filmmaker I would at least get to take short breaks to unwind, and I've stolen even that time from both myself and my loved ones over the past four years (Jenn, I love you and I'm sorry and you don't need to feel guilty for being the happiest of all people that I'm no longer doing this job). And the thing my ADHD hyperfocus has had the most difficulty with has been dividing my time between projects I'm incredibly passionate about and the ones I'm not so much and all the things I have to do as a studio head." 

The most important bit of his touching farewell came at the very end, where he revealed he's not entirely "done with DC or superheroes," adding that he's "writing" his next DCU project: 

"So, yes, I will miss the people around me, and I will miss being the co-caretaker of these great characters, but I'm also incredibly relieved and excited to get back to pure filmmaking. That's not to say Peter and I are immediately done with DC or superheroes. We have Man of Tomorrow out this summer. And we've just been engaged on another DC project which I'm writing, and we'll see where it goes after that. And, of course, the characters we set up will live on. Thank you so very, very much for embracing the characters and stories we've put on screen." 

Gunn stepping down as head of DC Studios is a blow for fans who enjoyed the direction of his DCU, but his reveal that he is writing at least one more DC project was enough to get them excited. This isn't the first time Gunn has teased a mystery project after Man of Tomorrow, and rumors have run rampant about what it could be. 

What Secret Project Could James Gunn Be Working on After Man of Tomorrow? 

Back in early October, James Gunn told fans he was "already in it" when asked about writing his next film after Man of Tomorrow, joking that he "had to do something" while waiting for the sequel's assembly cut. He never revealed a title, but the studio's overall direction and the rumors that have swirled online give a fair idea of what that project could be. 

The most logical answer right now points to David Corenswet's Man of Steel leading another movie and completing the DCU's first trilogy. A new report from scooper DanielRPK claims that Gunn's next DCU film is Superman 3, a direct continuation of the story that began with Superman and continues in Man of Tomorrow, arriving July 9, 2027. That would line up with the DCU's current direction. Man of Tomorrow will pair Superman with Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor against Brainiac, played by Lars Eidinger. 

Gunn called the film "as much a Lex movie as it is a Superman movie," and he described the overall arc as the Superman Saga. He also confirmed the saga will continue past Man of Tomorrow. If Gunn wants to keep telling that story himself, a third Superman film is the natural next step, and writing it now would keep the momentum going after the sequel's July release. Superman is also the DCU's biggest financial win so far, so James would likely want to pull out the biggest gun in his arsenal if he wants to head out the door with a bang. 

That desire could also push Gunn toward a World's Finest Superman story. The outgoing co-CEO recently revealed on The Suicide Squad's official podcast that the DCU will cast its Batman soon, saying, "It won't be too long before we're casting, you know, Batman." He also noted that the DCU's Dark Knight will be around the same age as Superman. 

That detail opens the door to a team-up film. A World's Finest-style movie pairing Corenswet's Superman with the new Batman would give the DCU its biggest event film yet, and it would mark the first time the two icons shared a live-action screen since the old DCEU. Gunn previously said Man of Tomorrow would not be that kind of team-up, but he never ruled one out further down the line. Whatever he is writing, Gunn will sadly now do it without the CEO title.