James Gunn’s DCU Safe? Paramount Reportedly ‘Wants To Keep The Creative Teams’

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With James Gunn planning his DC Universe, some are wondering if he’ll still be in charge by 2027, especially since he’s publicly questioned his own long-term role after the planned release of Man of Tomorrow.

A recent Bloomberg report details David Ellison’s proposal to combine Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount. The plan focuses on streamlining business functions like marketing, distribution, and streaming, but promises to keep the creative sides of both companies separate.

That report also comes after news from Bloomberg and others about big changes happening at Paramount, including job cuts and changes to the creative teams.

Paramount and Warner Bros. Merger Details

Bloomberg reports that David Ellison, the 42-year-old head of Paramount and Skydance, aims to merge the two companies while maintaining separate creative departments. He also intends to combine Paramount+ with Warner Bros.’ HBO Max, creating one larger streaming service with more movies and shows.

David Ellison, who leads Paramount and owns a significant stake in the company, is aiming to maintain the creative independence of both studios but combine some of their marketing and distribution efforts, sources say.

Sources say Paramount hasn’t decided if it will sell any of its properties, including the iconic studio lots in Hollywood. These sources requested anonymity as they were sharing confidential details.

According to sources, the merger would help Ellison highlight more of their work and attract a larger number of subscribers.

According to the report, the company doesn’t intend to sell or separate its cable channels like MTV, CNN, and Turner Broadcasting. Also, CBS News, which is part of Paramount, might start working more closely and sharing resources with CNN, which is owned by Warner Bros.

I’m really fascinated by what Ellison is planning! He’s looking into using AI to dramatically increase film and TV production – aiming for a whopping 30 movies a year across both studios. And it’s great to hear he still believes in the power of seeing movies in theaters, as he thinks that’s the best way to build lasting, beloved franchises.

DC and James Gunn Missing From the Report

The Bloomberg report doesn’t discuss DC Studios, Superman, or James Gunn’s role. It simply states that Ellison hopes to maintain the existing creative teams at both Paramount and Warner Bros.

As we discussed, Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy are in charge of Warner Bros. Pictures, while James Gunn’s DC Studios operates independently and reports directly to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav. It’s concerning that the head of DC Studios publicly states uncertainty about his position, especially considering he’s the only one regularly advising Zaslav.

The upcoming merger dramatically changing Warner Bros.’ movie business notably leaves out DC Comics. Insiders say James Gunn’s position and his plans for a new DC Universe are currently stalled while the sale is finalized.

It’s uncertain if James Gunn’s DC Studios would meet Larry Ellison’s standards for maintaining creative teams. Recent Warner Bros. projects, like Superman and Season 2 of Peacemaker, have received mixed reviews, haven’t done well financially, and have seen a decline in viewership—which puts Gunn in a challenging position as he takes over during a merger.

There’s a possibility that James Gunn’s DC Studios could be merged back into Warner Bros. Pictures, under the leadership of Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy. This aligns with information I’ve received. The main question is whether De Luca would be willing to work with Gunn, considering Gunn essentially bypassed him to create his own DC division – a decision that, as I’ve previously reported, led to the cancellation of De Luca’s plans for the ‘Snyderverse’.

Layoffs and Restructuring Underway

According to Bloomberg, Paramount finished merging with Skydance Media, led by Ellison, in August. As part of a company reorganization, they plan to announce around 1,000 job cuts this week.

This is just the beginning of Disney’s cost-cutting measures, and more changes could happen if their deal with Warner Bros. goes through. As reported by Bloomberg, Disney’s purchase of Fox in 2019 resulted in significant job losses and fewer movies being released in theaters.

Even though Ellison has stated that the creative teams will stay the same, this seems doubtful. Taylor Sheridan, the creator of popular shows like Yellowstone and other hits on Paramount+, has recently moved to NBCUniversal, completely ending his contract with Paramount.

With Paramount already cutting jobs and losing a key creative leader, it’s very unlikely that things will stay the same at Warner Bros. after the merger is finalized.

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2025-10-29 14:02