It only took a couple of months for the recently approved merger between Paramount and Warner Bros to yield a shocking personnel shakeup.

James Gunn and Peter Safran, who have served as co-chairmen and co-CEOs of DC Studios for the past four years, either resigned or were asked to leave their posts. (The exact details are unclear.) Replacing them under the job title President and Chief Creative Officer of DC Studios. is Jeremy Latcham, who worked at Marvel Studios a protege of Marvel’s Kevin Feige. Latcham actually worked with Gunn on Guardians of the Galaxy in addition to his other MCU film projects.

Gunn and Safran’s last day at DC Studios is December 1st. The pair released three DC movies during that time (Superman, Supergirl and Clayface, which is in theaters now), and produced three live-action TV shows that aired on HBO Max (The Penguin, Peacemaker season 2 and Lanterns.) They had announced about a decade’s worth of plans for other films and television projects. 

Gunn posted his reaction in an Instagram post that thanked fans and supporters of him and Safran during their tenure at Warner Bros/DC.

“Thanks to all of you who have supported me and Peter in our time as the heads of DC Studios. When I was a kid growing up in Manchester, Missouri, I used to write and draw my own comics with a mix of DC characters and my own characters. Having full access to these characters to do whatever we wanted has been a dream come true. I didn’t know if I wanted this job when it was offered to me, but I just couldn’t pass up the unique opportunity. I’m glad I took the job,” Gunn said on the first page of his post.

In a different joint statement, Safran and Gunn wrote, “four years ago, we set out to unite DC under one creative vision. In that time, we helped restore Superman to the heart of DC, while opening new doors and telling new stories in film and television with Peacemaker, Creature Commandos, Lanterns and Clayface. We’re immensely proud of the team that turned that ambition into something real, including the actors, crews and executives we had the opportunity to collaborate with. We’ve shared a creative history with Jeremy going back to Marvel, and we’re eager to see the perspective he brings to DC’s next chapter. We’re excited to return to what drew us to this job in the first place, which is telling the stories we love, including the next chapter of Clark and Lex’s journey in Man of Tomorrow.”

Future projects include Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow in post-production for a planned release next year, with the TV spinoff The People v. Gorilla Grodd also in post. And Gunn and Safran will still be on the production team for The Batman: Part II which is planned for a 2028 release. And Gunn alluded to another DC project he’s writing now. “Of course,” Gunn wrote, “the characters we set up will live on.”

“James and Peter launched a new era for DC Studios and led it through a period of real transformation, resetting the foundation and building a slate we’re incredibly proud of,” Skydance chairman and CEO David Ellison said in a joint statement with his co-CEO Ynon Kreiz. About Latcham, the pair said in their statement, “Jeremy has been a longtime creative partner to both, and we have complete confidence that James and Peter will ensure a smooth, collaborative transition and continue this work with care. We look forward to working with Jeremy to build the next generation of DC storytelling and to doubling down on our commitment to fans.”