David Ellison Is “Pretty Open” to James Gunn’s DCU Plans

Last year, Zach Cregger (“Weapons”) had sneakily shopped his DC project, “Henchman,” to Skydance/Paramount—even though James Gunn still had the authority to greenlight DC projects. This all happened at a time when many believed Paramount would win the bidding war to acquire Warner Bros.

Of course, Cregger’s move was seen by some as a backhanded slap in the face to Warner Bros., Gunn, and Peter Safran, who currently control which DC films get made—a decision they make after developing scripts to their liking. The situation wasn’t helped by a wave of viral rumors, later proven unfounded, claiming that Ellison planned to oust Gunn and Safran.

Fast forward to today, and in an interview with THR, Safran and Gunn seem encouraged by a recent visit Ellison made to DC Studios—one that appears to have been largely awaited for those worried about the future of their DC Universe.

Speaking while promoting “Supergirl,” Safran revealed that Ellison has already met with both him and Gunn and has been “pretty open to what we’re doing.”

He’s pretty open to what we’re doing… he’s a big fan, he’s been great with us. He’s giving us kind of what we want.

There has been speculation, and considerable fan concern, that an Ellison-owned Warner Bros. might pursue a different creative direction or view Gunn’s DCU slate as too risky, especially given ongoing concerns about box-office performance.

According to Safran, several key projects are already too far along to be significantly altered by Ellison. He pointed to films and series such as “Clayface” and “Lanterns,” noting that “the train’s left the station” on those productions. The broader implication is that the existing DC slate remains intact for the foreseeable future, with Gunn and Safran continuing to execute the long-term plan they launched with “Superman” and are expanding through “Supergirl” and other Chapter One projects.

The underlying concern, of course, is the possibility of Ellison and Skydance gaining greater influence over Warner Bros. Discovery. Safran’s comments were encouraging, but they offer no guarantees about the long-term future. If Ellison ultimately gains control, he could still choose to replace the current leadership or chart a different course for the DCU.

With “Supergirl” opening this Friday and potentially underperforming at the box office, who really knows what the future holds for Gunn and Safran? The next major test will be next year’s “Superman” sequel, “Man of Tomorrow,” and whether it can match the performance of the first film, which finished with a strong domestic haul but a more modest overseas tally, totaling $615M worldwide. Whether it can match those numbers remains to be seen.