Is James Gunn leaving DC Studios? A Hollywood insider suggests that he could leave the franchise behind following the upcoming Paramount merger.
Recently, it was confirmed that Paramount had won the bidding war to purchase Warner Bros. Discovery, marking yet another massive merger in an already rapidly-consolidating media landscape. While there are plenty of reasons to be worried about the merger, comic fans may be facing another major shakeup to the movie landscape, as reports are starting to come out that James Gunn might end up leaving DC Studios.
Perhaps the most circulated of these reports comes from John Campea, a reporter who has had a consistent record when it comes to leaks and reporting in the comic book sphere. Campea remarks that, while he doesn’t have any insider information, he can’t see James Gunn staying at DC Studios due to the gulf in political opinions between him and Paramount CEO David Ellison.
“I am 100% sure that before the end of the year, James Gunn is going to go to David Zaslav and say, ‘It’s been nice, but there’s no way I’m working for those guys. So, can you please let me out of my contract?’ And I think David Zaslav will let him out of his contract.”
“I think he’s going to end up back at Marvel, and he will become Kevin Feige’s heir apparent to take over Marvel after Kevin Feige finally goes. That’s what I think is going to happen. That’s the road map that I see happening here.”
“I just can’t imagine a scenario that James Gunn – because we all know how James Gunn feels about Donald Trump – whether you think he’s right to feel that way or whether you think he’s wrong to feel that way, we all know how James Gunn feels about Donald Trump, and Ellison’s are Donald Trump’s little f**k toys. So I just don’t see any reality in which James Gunn stays. He’s gonna quit.”
Is James Gunn Leaving DC Studios?
There are genuine arguments for and against James Gunn leaving DC Studios following the Paramount merger. When it comes to a potential exit, it’s clear that David Ellison has been pushing for Paramount to become more partisan over the past year, so the political differences are a tangible consideration. Additionally, Gunn himself likely wouldn’t hurt too much by leaving the studio, as his proven ability to be a blockbuster kingmaker would likely land him first-look deals at any other major studio in town.
When it comes to James Gunn staying, there are equally compelling arguments. David Ellison’s focus at Paramount has mainly been shifting the political stance of outlets like CBS, mostly leaving the film division alone aside from a push toward IP-based projects. It’s entirely possible that he would leave DC Studios alone, with Gunn wanting to remain in order to be a dissenting political voice that’s too valuable for the company to get rid of.
Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the future of the DC Universe!
