The One DCU Rule James Gunn Refuses to Change After the Netflix–Warner Bros $82.7 Billion Deal

Big swing alert: Netflix is trying to buy the entire Warner Bros. film and TV studio for about $82.7 billion. If regulators sign off, the deal could close by 2026. That alone would rearrange Hollywood furniture in a way we haven’t seen before. But let’s zoom in on the part you probably care about most: what happens to DC movies if Netflix ends up running the place.

Near-term DC: Theatrical is still the plan

Because of existing contracts, the early DCU slate should hit theaters as planned. That includes titles like Supergirl, Man of Tomorrow, and The Batman II. Those are safe for the big screen.

After that? Different story. Once those obligations are met, Netflix would be in position to rethink how DC films roll out. Theatrical windows could get very short, or disappear entirely. That’s not hypothetical panic; it’s a fair question given Netflix’s track record.

Gunn’s line in the sand

James Gunn isn’t exactly sweating the boardroom noise. He’s been blunt about what he thinks DC movies are built for: theaters. He doesn’t want the DCU reduced to one-and-done streaming drops, and he’s not shy about it. As he put it:

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

Gunn and co-head Peter Safran, for what it’s worth, are staying heads-down on scripts and the long game for the DCU. Corporate weather or not.

Netflix says theaters are part of the plan (yes, really)

Here’s the curveball: Netflix has already told Warner Bros. it intends to release the studio’s movies in theaters. That’s notable because Netflix’s relationship with theaters has been… let’s call it complicated. The company has made or backed everything from war epics to whodunits to broad comedies, with genuine hits like All Quiet on the Western Front, the Knives Out franchise, and Happy Gilmore 2 in the mix. But historically, those movies either skipped theaters entirely or got very limited runs.

So the promise is interesting. The fine print is not. We don’t know how long these hypothetical Netflix-era WB movies would actually stay in theaters before heading to streaming. Weeks? Days? A symbolic run? That part is fuzzy.

What Netflix wants out of this

Co-CEO Ted Sarandos sounds extremely confident they’ll get regulatory approval and is pushing "full speed" to close the deal. His pitch is basically: combine Netflix’s giant streaming footprint with Warner Bros.’ library of classic movies, shows, and brands, and you give audiences "more of what they love" while setting up the company to "define the next century of storytelling." He told the BBC he knows the move surprised some shareholders, but he calls it a "rare opportunity" and a way to stay ahead of the competition for the long haul.

And WB’s current boss is on board

Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav is publicly cheerleading the move, calling the combo a partnership between "two of the greatest storytelling companies in the world." In his view, teaming up with Netflix puts WB’s franchises on a truly global stage while protecting the studio’s legacy for generations.

The bottom line for DC

Short term, don’t worry: those early DCU movies are still headed to theaters. Long term, the release strategy is a question mark. Gunn wants cinematic scale and communal viewing; Netflix says theaters are part of the plan, but hasn’t spelled out how robust that plan is. If this deal lands in 2026, that’s when we find out how much the big screen still matters to DC under a Netflix umbrella.

Think DC movies will keep proper theatrical runs if Netflix takes over? I’m curious where you land.