Could DC Studios End Up Overseeing DC Comics? Skydance Speculation

Posted in: Comics, HBO, Max, Movies, Paramount+, TV | Tagged: dc comics, dc studios, Skydance

As CEOs David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz finalize Skydance’s leadership team, could James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Studios oversee DC Comics?

With the Paramount Skydance-Warner Bros. Discovery merger set to close this Tuesday, there was a ton of buzz heading into the weekend about who would (and wouldn’t) be joining the leadership team of Skydance (the new company’s name) co-CEOs David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz. The duo is expected to introduce the lieup on Monday, and that announcement is expected to confirm that DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran will be sticking around for the foreseeable future. To recap, reports are that Ellison, Chief Financial Officer Dennis Cinelli, and Chief Strategy Officer Andy Gordon visited the set of DC Studios’ Man of Tomorrow earlier this year. During the visit, the Paramount team was presented with Gunn and Safran’s long-term vision for DC Studios and the DCU – with Ellison apparently liking what he heard. With their contracts set to expire in 2027, Gunn and Safran reportedly met with Ellison in person this past Thursday, with Ellison (according to one source) telling them to “keep doing what you’re doing.” But some questions still remain. Will Gunn and Safran have a direct line to Ellison and/or Kreiz – as they did with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav – or will they answer to Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, who will reportedly oversee all film units after the deal closes?

So how could DC Comics fit into all of this? This is where we start playing the speculation game, so take what you’re about to read with a ten-ton grain of salt. The publishing side was also addressed by sources in last week’s reporting. The combination of the comics company’s recent resurgence in the marketplace (driven in large part by the “Absolute Universe” line) and Skydance’s reported push to embrace and expand its IPs makes keeping DC Comics a no-brainer. “It’s an IP generator,” shared a source. But Skydance’s push to expand its extensive library of IPs into other media could also spur DC Comics to produce more “synergy” titles. “I can see why Skydance would combine Nickelodeon with Cartoon Network. DC? They’re not touching that,” the source added. With all of that in play, doesn’t it seem at least possible that Skydance could look to move DC Comics under the DC Studios umbrella?

Currently, DC Comics President, Publisher, and CCO Jim Lee and his team answer to Pam Lifford, Warner Bros. Discovery’s President of Global Brands, Franchises, and Experiences. But a move under DC Studios would offer several benefits. First, there’s the personal and professional respect between Lee and Gunn, two creative minds who also understand the business side of things. Second, it adds to Gunn and Safran’s DC Studios resume, providing further justification for the two answering directly to Skydance’s CEOs. In addition, having the comic creators and those responsible for bringing the comic characters to live-action and animated life under one umbrella could create some interesting creative opportunities (like that Absolute Batman animated series). And let’s not rule out the role Kreiz could play in this. The ex-Mattel bigwig was reportedly brought in for two reasons: to make big cuts (Skydance is looking to cut $6 billion in costs over three years) and get as much out of the company’s IPs as possible. As impressive as Mattel’s library of IPs is, it’s nothing compared to the sandbox Skydance will offer. Again, this could all end up being what I labeled it as from the start: just speculation. But it’s definitely something to think about…

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!