Even If Netflix Bought Warner Bros, James Gunn Isn’t Going Anywhere — Why Zack Snyder Won’t Be Taking Over the DCU
As reports of a Netflix move on Warner Bros. light up Hollywood, DC fans are bracing for fallout over James Gunn’s future. Co-chief Peter Safran tells Bloomberg the pair remain irreplaceable at the top of the studio.
So Netflix just agreed to buy Warner Bros., and the internet immediately started handicapping James Gunn's job security like it was opening weekend grosses. Here is where things actually stand, what Gunn and his partner are saying out loud, what Netflix is reportedly planning, where Zack Snyder fits into this, and why WB probably won’t rush to change anything.
Gunn and Safran say they are not going anywhere
In a new Bloomberg interview, DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran did not mince words about the leadership situation. He called himself and Gunn effectively irreplaceable, said they came in with a long-term plan, and argued they have barely started executing it. Safran also pushed back on the rumor mill that Netflix would swap Gunn out for Zack Snyder.
"If you're gonna make a Batman movie, it better be f**king awesome."
Safran says DC is staying the course post-Superman. He also revealed that Warner Bros. has already extended Gunn and Safran’s contracts through spring 2027, which is a pretty loud way of saying 'we like our plan.' And even with Netflix taking over, Gunn is preaching theatrical first: he called movie theaters remarkably well-suited to DC releases.
What Netflix reportedly plans to keep in place
On the business side, YouTuber John Campea says he has heard Netflix intends to keep Gunn, plus Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group heads Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy. Campea points to Netflix’s own merger language about maintaining current WB operations and building on its theatrical strengths. For what it’s worth, the deal has been pegged at an enterprise value of $82.7 billion, per BBC reports, and Warner Bros. Discovery is dangling $38.7 million in retention bonuses for top execs, according to THR. Campea’s other point: even if Netflix were planning major leadership changes, this early in an acquisition is not when a company telegraphs bad news.
About those Snyder rumors
Fans wondering if Netflix would favor Zack Snyder over Gunn might want to temper expectations. Recent reporting says Netflix is actually moving away from Snyder’s slate. Forbes says the streamer has canceled four of his planned projects: the Army of the Dead sequel, the Rebel Moon franchise, the animated series Twilight of the Gods, and a separate LAPD-set action film. If that holds, it does not exactly scream 'Snyder ascendancy' under the new regime.
Why shake up a studio that is winning?
The other big factor: WB is having a strong year at the box office. Seven different Warner Bros. titles opened north of $40 million domestically, a consistency edge over Disney and Universal right now. The year actually started wobbly — Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17 and The Alto Knights together left WB roughly $110 million in the hole — and the current run cooled with Leonardo DiCaprio’s One Battle After Another. But even that one cleared $200 million in theaters.
As for DC, Gunn’s Superman (starring David Corenswet) cleared $600 million worldwide, opened at $125 million domestic, and, per Variety’s math, has generated around $125 million in profit for WB. The second-week drop was 54%, which, given this year’s comic-book movie trends, is not a bad hold (Forbes noted it compared favorably to Marvel’s 2024 slides).
- Other WB highlights this year: Ryan Coogler’s alternate-history vampire thriller Sinners, Julia Garner’s horror movie Weapons, The Conjuring: Last Rites, Final Destination Bloodlines, F1: The Movie, and A Minecraft Movie. Analyst David A. Gross told Variety the studio made bold, smart bets and they’re paying off.
The bottom line
Between extended contracts through spring 2027, Netflix’s stated plan to keep WB operations intact (including theatrical), reported retention bonuses to steady the executive ranks, and Snyder’s pipeline shrinking, there is no real signal that James Gunn is on the chopping block. If anything, the studios involved seem incentivized to let the current DC plan run.
Do you want Gunn steering DC through 2027, or are you hoping Netflix shakes things up anyway?