Peter Safran's Rumored DC Studios Departure Could Pose A Major Problem For The DCU

Peter Safran's Rumored DC Studios Departure Could Pose A Major Problem For The DCU

A new report claims to shed further light on the big changes happening behind the scenes at Warner Bros. and the possible ramifications of current DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran leaving the DCU behind.

By JoshWilding - Mar 13, 2025 06:03 AM EST
Filed Under: DC Studios
Source: The InSneider

Earlier this week, a report from Puck claimed that Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav is looking to end Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy's stint as Warner Bros. Pictures co-chiefs. 

They've spent an awful lot more than they've made for the studio since taking charge of its film slate, and the frugal Zaslav - who hasn't shied away from scrapping near-completed projects - appears to have reached the end of his tether. 

DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran is reportedly a top contender to take over from Luca and Abdy, though that would currently leave James Gunn to run the studio alone.

The InSneider has shared an update today, theorising that Zaslav may be eyeing Safran because he wants out of the DCU. 

"[It] makes zero sense to me," Jeff Sneider started, "unless his DC Studios co-chief James Gunn has become such a control freak that Safran feels like there isn’t much there for him to do over there."

"That could explain why he’d take another position within the studio, which would allow him to work on a greater range of projects outside of comic book movies and TV shows."

"That said, I’m told that the #3 at DC Studios, Chantal Nong, isn’t quite ready to replace Safran in the capacity of co-CEO, nor is she necessarily the right fit alongside Gunn, so while the WB slate may fare better under Safran, DC Studios may ultimately suffer in the long run without him taking on the brunt of business responsibilities for the studio," he concluded. 

Until now, the belief has been that Gunn handles the creative with Safran, a veteran Hollywood producer, managing DC Studios' business operations. 

It seems highly unlikely that Gunn has the time or inclination to become DC Studios' Kevin Feige, especially as that would leave him little to no room to write or direct any new DCU projects. Still, whether Gunn is paired with the inexperienced Nong or another executive, it's bound to have major consequences for this burgeoning franchise. 

The first big test will be Superman; all signs currently point to the movie being a hit - fan response has been positive - but should it underperform, Zaslav may sour on the DC brand and decide that's also not worth sinking any further money into (he didn't shy away from scrapping Batgirl, after all).  

With any luck, the DCU is here to stay. The superhero genre as a whole would benefit from its success, but for now, we'll just have to wait and see how things shake out. 

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TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 3/13/2025, 7:05 AM
See , speculation like that is dangerous because some idiot out there is gonna run with it as fact and use it against Gunn because they have some weird narrative built in their heads against him.

Hell if this is even true then it could not have anything to do with Gunn and moreso as stated , be the ability to work on greater range of projects outside of the DCU?.

Anyway , it would suck to lose Safran so soon as of now since I like the idea of co-heads where one handles the creative while the other handles the business…

Granted they could always hire someone from the outside if they feel they don’t have execs that would be the right fit with Gunn or are too inexperienced so it’s not too big of a deal imo.
RedFury
RedFury - 3/13/2025, 8:34 AM
@TheVisionary25 - it drives me nuts to see speculation, and personal theories attached to a shoddy rumour. Because you're right, the desperate ones who hate Gunn will jump all over this and use it as fact.

I miss the days when journalistic integrity mattered.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 3/13/2025, 7:10 AM
This goes without saying, Sneider. Everybody inferred that Safran leaving DC Studios would mean there no longer anybody at the wheel. Gunn himself has told us that he is only really the creative captain, he decides where the ship is going but Safran is the one that steers the ship.
tylerzero
tylerzero - 3/13/2025, 7:10 AM
Not good, right?
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 3/13/2025, 7:11 AM
Well at least Superman looks promising enough.
MaxPaint
MaxPaint - 3/13/2025, 7:37 AM
@ModHaterSLADE - Sure....
TDKRnry88
TDKRnry88 - 3/13/2025, 8:08 AM
@ModHaterSLADE - Damn right!
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 3/13/2025, 12:50 PM
@MaxPaint -Cope
MaxPaint
MaxPaint - 3/13/2025, 3:25 PM
@ModHaterSLADE - Yep, you surely are.
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 3/13/2025, 3:48 PM
@MaxPaint - Good for you little guy👍🏾
OptimusCrime
OptimusCrime - 3/13/2025, 7:22 AM
It could also be good for the DCU.
Forthas
Forthas - 3/13/2025, 7:25 AM
Peter Safran heading Warner Brothers studios means the end of Warner Brothers Studios. Not only is he unqualified for the job, but to me it seems like Warner Brothers is unable to attract anyone to the position. If he is hired then to me that would signal the end is near. I don’t think David Zaslav is that stupid as to think Peter Safran could right the ship.

Say YES to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) ... say NO to Stupidity, Extremism, and Ignorance (SEI) and Childish Reactionary Tantrums (CRT).
PartyKiller
PartyKiller - 3/13/2025, 7:37 AM
@Forthas - HAHA! You are worried about Safran's qualifications when you support the racist practices of DEI? And yes, David Zaslav is incredibly stupid. It is widely known.
TheJok3r
TheJok3r - 3/13/2025, 7:44 AM
He may want to leave because things aren't looking good for the DCU's future. Why jump ship before the first movie is even released unless you know something's wrong with it ?
regularmovieguy
regularmovieguy - 3/13/2025, 8:07 AM
@TheJok3r

Why would WB offer him an executive leadership position knowing something’s wrong with Superman? Lmao. Goes both ways.
MotherGooseUPus
MotherGooseUPus - 3/13/2025, 8:08 AM
@TheJok3r - thats kinda where my heads at... he must know something we dont because this seems like a lateral move to me... unless there is a massive pay raise why else would he leave?
TheJok3r
TheJok3r - 3/13/2025, 8:18 AM
@regularmovieguy - Safran has nothing to do with the creative side of things over at DC, that's all on Gunn. If things aren't looking good and there's documentation of him voicing his concerns, then he's not to blame if something goes wrong and he wasn't listened to.
TheJok3r
TheJok3r - 3/13/2025, 8:20 AM
@MotherGooseUPus - This is definitely a lateral move, and considering how close it is to the release of Superman, I can't help but believe he wants out of there before it releases in order to not be associated with it. You don't do that if you think a movie is going to be good.
vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 3/13/2025, 9:07 AM
@TheJok3r - as someone else said, it goes both ways.

Wouldnt it be possible Superman was handled well that bosses at WB want him to expand on other ips and Gunn can handle it himself???

Too much bad rumored press in this movie that it reeks of snyder cultists lolz. The other day there was an article of this being overbudgeted. They cant even afford a superbowl spot 😅
TheJok3r
TheJok3r - 3/13/2025, 9:12 AM
@vectorsigma - Why would they consider moving him before the release of the very first movie ? When studios move people to replicate success, they tend to do it after a track record of multiple movies, not before the first movie releases.
vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 3/13/2025, 9:19 AM
@TheJok3r - my guess is they are shorthanded and they are not that stable financially. So the best thing is have your best man handle other ips as DC is already in good hands.

We are guessing here ofc. My point is both of our guesses are equally probable. But the recent bad press is really questionable and i dont trust any of it to be true
regularmovieguy
regularmovieguy - 3/13/2025, 9:20 AM
@TheJok3r

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Patient2670
Patient2670 - 3/13/2025, 11:36 AM
@TheJok3r -Whatever the reasioning behind it, and whether it's even true oor not, it actually isn't a lateral move. DC is a subset of Warners. Going from running a section to running the parent company is a step up. It'd be like Kevin Feige going from running Marvel to running Disney. If he went from Running Marvel to running Lucasfilm, that'd be a lateral move.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 3/13/2025, 1:52 PM
@regularmovieguy - exactly. Make it make sense.
JacobsLadder
JacobsLadder - 3/13/2025, 9:05 AM
what a mess
slickrickdesigns
slickrickdesigns - 3/13/2025, 9:09 AM
well now DC’s Doomed to fail… I bet you Gunn just be sitting in his big boy boss chair in his office like this with DC action figures.

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Super12
Super12 - 3/13/2025, 9:52 AM
Two people allegedly might be replaced, and allegedly by Safran, allegedly resulting in no one on earth to replace him. Sure sounds like time to hit the panic button. /s
DocSpock
DocSpock - 3/13/2025, 9:56 AM

The big question is when will WB be gobbled up by one of the bigger studios.

Even if Superman is a hit, they can't maintain considering what a disaster they have been the last few years.

Pac Man time.


dragon316
dragon316 - 3/13/2025, 10:10 AM
No not always Kevin still in charge of marvel how many disasters have they had?
Oberlin4Prez
Oberlin4Prez - 3/13/2025, 10:50 AM
Maybe they could put a diverse woman in the position and make her lame and gay.
spr0cks
spr0cks - 3/13/2025, 2:15 PM
@Oberlin4Prez - Show us on the doll where the diverse minority LGBQT+ woman hurt you.
foreverintheway
foreverintheway - 3/13/2025, 12:28 PM
If you have strong opinions on this - I would argue not to. It's only a rumour that will be disproven in a week or so. There is nothing to it because scoopers and leakers flat-out make stuff up, or at it's most forgiving - severely bend the truth to fit a narrative. A rumour in the capeshit world means nothing - rarely does it ever come to fruition.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 3/13/2025, 1:53 PM
Jeff Sneider is a hack
1stDalek
1stDalek - 3/13/2025, 4:23 PM
Sneider only thinks Safran would move up in the chain, to bigger and (surely) way higher pay job only if he has beef with Gunn? what a clown, driving the whole of WB film output is a HUGE promotion for anyone & at that level he could choose to still control DC's output if he wanted to, as DC Studios output control is a privilege they could remove for Safran moving up the totem pole.

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