James Gunn Sounds the Alarm on DC’s Big-Screen Future as Netflix-WB Merger Looms

So, the DC Universe might have a new landlord. Reports say Netflix is trying to buy Warner Bros. Discovery for around $82.7 billion, which immediately set off alarms for DC fans who like their capes on a big screen, not just a couch. Netflix does not exactly have a reputation for long theatrical runs. Cue James Gunn stepping in to calm people down.

Gunn: DC is still built for movie theaters

Talking to Bloomberg Businessweek, DC Studios boss James Gunn made it pretty clear he is not flipping the DCU into a straight-to-streaming operation. His whole thing is that these stories are designed to play big and loud with an audience.

"The communal, theatrical experience is something that is incredibly important and remarkably well-suited to our big spectacle films."

Translation: the plan is still big-screen first when the project calls for it. Peter Safran backed that up and basically said Gunn is the architect guiding the whole DC blueprint. Their comments popped up right as everyone started wondering if a Netflix–WB hookup would shrink DC to two-week theatrical windows and a quick sprint to streaming. Gunn and Safran are trying to draw a line in the sand: the DCU has a plan, and theaters still matter.

Zaslav backs Gunn and a multiplatform DCU

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav also spoke with Bloomberg and put his support behind Gunn and Safran. He says the DC brand is strong enough to live on multiple platforms at once: some stories are better as theatrical events, others work best as long-form series. He also called their approach creatively compelling and financially smart. The message from the WB side is: DC is flexible, and the people in charge know what they are doing, regardless of corporate chess moves.

The Netflix wrinkle: Sarandos has a different philosophy

Here is where it gets thorny. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos has been saying for years that audiences prefer watching movies at home and that the traditional 45-day theatrical window is out of step with how people actually consume stuff. In an April 2025 chat with Variety, he basically argued that the box office slide is the audience telling studios they want convenience, not a calendar. Netflix has put some movies in theaters, but usually for very short runs — think roughly two weeks. Recent examples include Frankenstein and Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery getting brief big-screen stops before heading to streaming.

Netflix has also told Variety it has no blanket opposition to theaters, but their release strategy is what it is: limited theatrical, quick pivot to the platform. If that gets applied to DC, it would be a major shift from how superhero tentpoles traditionally roll out — big event screenings, premium formats, and longer box-office legs.

Where this leaves DC right now

• The deal talk: Netflix is reportedly pursuing WB Discovery for about $82.7 billion. Nothing about release strategies changes until something official actually happens.
• The DC plan: James Gunn says theaters still matter a lot for the DCU, especially for spectacle-driven movies. Peter Safran frames Gunn as the creative engine behind the unified plan.
• The studio stance: David Zaslav backs Gunn and Safran, pitching DC as a multiplatform ecosystem — some titles made for theaters, others built as series — and says their approach works creatively and economically.
• The Netflix philosophy: Ted Sarandos has long argued that home viewing is what audiences want and that long theatrical windows are outdated; Netflix’s recent releases usually get very short theatrical runs before streaming.

So yeah, there is a real tension here: DC leadership is talking up theaters, while Netflix’s model leans hard into streaming. If this acquisition actually happens, that tug-of-war will decide how you watch DC movies in the next few years — IMAX weekend events or blink-and-you-miss-it theatrical stints followed by a fast drop at home.

What do you want the DCU to look like under a Netflix umbrella — event-sized theatrical runs, streaming-first, or something in between? Sound off.