DC Studios Could Face Major Shake-Up Before Superman Sequel, All Because Of Netflix

A major executive shake-up is happening in Hollywood right now, and it might be set to impact DC Studios. Netflix has fired its film chief, Dan Lin, and now that the Warner Bros. and Paramount merger is official, the brass at parent company Skydance have let some key execs go, including former WB film heads Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy. Netflix needs to fill that top position quickly, and while Abdy and De Luca have been rumored to be in contention for the job, the streamer may have its sights set on DC's Peter Safran.

A recent report from Page Six broke down what led to Lin's firing (which allegedly included a feud with "Animals" director Ben Affleck) and included a list of names who are in line to replace him. Stacey Snider, Jeff Robinov, and Emma Watts were on that list, as was DC Studios co-head Peter Safran. James Gunn and Safran were hired to lead DC Studios as a new division at Warner Bros. in 2022. While Skydance is shaking things up, Gunn and Safran were both kept on to keep steering the DC ship for now.

Rather crucially, "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Superman" director Gunn has made it clear in the past that the only reason he took the job because of Safran. "I had no interest in running DC until Peter decided to do it with me so he could do the exec stuff [and] I could focus on creative," Gunn said on Threads in 2024.

So, what would happen if Netflix offers Safran a deal he can't pass up? Would that impact Gunn's place as the head of DC Studios? Gunn's plans for the DC Universe have shifted since Warner Bros.' initial announcement, but he and Safran have been the ones driving those decisions. If Safran leaves, things could get complicated.

Interestingly enough, Dan Lin was in the running to be the new head of DC Films in 2022 before it became DC Studios and before James Gunn and Peter Safran were named as the kings of that castle. This is pure speculation, but if Netflix does poach Safran, wouldn't it be fascinating if Lin then jumped over to DC? Would Gunn be into that idea? For now, there are more questions than we could possibly answer.

Netflix is going to move quickly, that much is certain. Former Disney executive Peter Rice was recently installed as the new chief of content at Netflix as part of the executive shake-up. He's going to need a new film chief sooner rather than later. Given Safran's resume, which also includes producing massive hits like The Conjuring Universe across a 30-year career, it's easy to see why Safran would be a top choice for the gig.

Granted, it's unclear how likely Safran would be to jump ship. He and Gunn have a long working relationship, and it's hard to believe he'd bail at such a crucial time. Gunn is in the midst of post-production on "Man of Tomorrow," the sequel to last year's hit "Superman." And while that movie was a hit, DC Studios still needs to pull out of a tailspin after the disappointing "Supergirl" flopped at the box office earlier this year.

It's true that "Clayface" looks to be the box office hit DC needs, but this is a crucial time for the new DCU. The last thing this venture needs is the loss of one of its key figureheads. We'll see how things play out, but on the off chance Safran wants a flashy gig at Netflix, DC will be in dire, immediate need of a new executive.

"Clayface" is in theaters now.