DC Studios may have been recently formed, but speculation is already running rampant about the studio going away. This started when it was announced Paramount had been submitting bids to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, which, in turn, prompted the confirmation that the legendary studio was, indeed, for sale. Shortly after that, people began to wonder whether the future of the DCU was in question. Speculation became more prominent when James Gunn seemingly addressed a possible exit from his position during an interview.
According to a new report, however, Gunn and Safran's place at the studio is safe. Per Bloomberg, Paramount Skydance CEO, David Ellison, who's been the driving force behind the bids for WBD,"wants to keep the creative teams of the two studios, while consolidating some of the marketing and distribution, according to people familiar with his plans."
The outlet also stated there have been no decisions made about whether or not a merged Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery would let go of either of the company's studio lots. YouTuber John Campea, of The John Campea Show, backed up the report, stating his sources confirmed to him that some of the people Paramount is planning to keep on after a potential merger are James Gunn and Peter Safran:
"I know a couple people over at Paramount, into which I wrote—and I quoted this article out of Bloomberg. I said, 'Ellison plans on keeping the creative teams in place—And I specifically and directly asked, 'Does that include [WB Motion Picture co-chairs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy], and does that include James Gunn and Peter Safran?' To which they gave me a simple response: 'Yes.'"
This is a promising development for DC Studios. However, it is important to point out that, should Paramount become the new owner of Warner Bros. Discovery, there could be at least two possible outcomes for the superhero studio. The first is, the operating structure remains the same, and DC Studios remains with the freedom it's been stated to enjoy so far. The second option is that, under the new regime, there could be a tighter oversight, particularly since a merged corporation stemming from WBD and Paramount would have multiple different subsidiaries and properties to manage.
Another thing to consider is that, as Bloomberg pointed out in the report, the 2019 merger between Disney and 21st Century Fox resulted in a smaller movie output from the studios. If merged, Paramount would have to carry WBD's financial responsibilities. And, though superheroes have proven profitable in the past, their R.O.I.—at least theatrically—has decreased considerably. Depending on the financial outcome of projects like Clayface and Supergirl, the merged Paramount-WBD could, theoretically, either shorten or widen the monetary and creative flexibility DC Studios currently has.
Again, though, this is speculation. WBD has yet to accept a buying bid. As such, we won't get a clearer idea of the course the company will take until there is a firm buyer in place.
What do you think about James Gunn and Peter Safran potentially staying on at DC Studios following a WBD-Paramount merger? Let us know in the comments!