Gunn was not part of the deal: Warner Bros.’s new owners informed the heads of DC Studios of their firing just three days before the official announcement

Under the new leadership, DC Studios will come under the control of Skydance’s film division.

James Gunn and Peter Safran learned about their impending firing from their leadership positions at DC Studios only on Friday, November 6. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Skydance heads David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz personally came to their office on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank to inform them that the new owners have other plans for the studio.

According to THR, one of the stumbling blocks was the question of who would be accountable for DC Studios’ work. Under Warner Bros. Discovery, Gunn and Safran reported directly to David Zaslav. However, following the merger, Skydance film division heads Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein wanted to take film production under their wing. Now Jeremy Latcham, who will take over DC Studios on December 1, will report to them.

THR’s sources also point to dissatisfaction with the studio’s box office performance. “Supergirl” bombed at the box office, grossing $126 million against a production budget of $170 million. But even from the profitable “Superman,” which earned $618 million worldwide, Skydance expected more: both higher grosses and a more significant cultural impact.