100K strong: petition backs keeping James Gunn and Peter Safran as DCU heads
DC fans wrote a petition to bring two familiar names back in DC Studio — and the targets of that plea won’t surprise you.
After the post-merger shake-up at the newly combined Warner Bros. –Paramount –Skydance company, James Gunn and Peter Safran were shown the door — and DC fans are pushing back. A fast-growing Change.org petition urging the companies to reverse course has drawn about 100,000 signatures, with supporters warning that shows like Peacemaker and Lanterns could be left in limbo.
What fans are asking for
The petition argues that Gunn and Safran had only just set the reboot in motion — rolling out a new Superman , reintroducing Supergirl , and laying groundwork for Batman — and should be allowed to finish what they started. It also contends the pair shouldn’t be dismissed over early stumbles, citing the “Supergirl” disappointment, and points to unfinished plans fans still want to see.
- Superman — a new film that launched the reboot in 2025
- “Man of Tomorrow” — a follow-up the petition cites for 2027
- Peacemaker — future of the series now uncertain
- Creature Commandos — part of the first wave of projects
- Lanterns — in development under the Gunn/Safran plan
- Clayface — one of several character projects floated
Supporters say the abrupt change puts the fate of these titles — and the new storylines tied to them — up in the air while the new corporate leadership decides what stays and what gets scrapped.
Cavill on the Superman question
The shake-up also reignited an evergreen fan debate: could Henry Cavill come back as the Man of Steel? Asked about the leadership change in an interview with Inverse, Cavill kept the door cracked.
“Look, there’s lots of fantastic storylines. There’s always a lot of opportunity... I would never say never now.”
Cavill portrayed Superman across five films before the role moved to David Corenswet for the 2025 reboot. The petition, meanwhile, nods to additional Superman-world plans it wants preserved, including a 2027 “Man of Tomorrow.”
The timeline
Gunn and Safran were appointed to run DC Studios in 2022. Nearly four years later, following the Warner Bros.–Paramount–Skydance merger, they were fired — a move that triggered the fan campaign now topping roughly 100,000 signatures on Change.org.