Warner Bros. Reportedly ‘Begged’ Todd Phillips to Run DC Studios

James Gunn and Peter Safran were named as co-CEOs of the newly founded DC Studios earlier this year, but according to a recent report from The New York Post, Warner Bros. Discovery initially had another name on the top of its search.

In an article about the ongoing shuffle at Warner Bros. Discovery, it’s noted that the initial job for who would run DC Studios was not one that many wanted. According to an industry source in the report, “the whole town turned down the job,” and Warner Bros. Discovery approached director Todd Phillips (who directed 2019’s Joker) about taking up the job, with the report saying “they begged him” to take it.

Ultimately, Phillips seemingly didn’t want to take on the role, which led to Gunn and Safran being named as the two heads of the new studio.

While much of the DCU’s future remains a mystery, Gunn recently announced that Cavill would be exiting the role and that he would be writing a new Superman movie, Black Adam won’t be in the first chapter of movies, several notable cameos have been nixed from The Flash, and that Wonder Woman 3 is no longer in development. There are also reports that Jason Momoa will no longer be Aquaman and will be recast as another DC character.

The next DC Universe release will be Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which releases March 17, 2023. It will be followed by The Flash, starring the troubled Ezra Miller, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The future afterward is currently uncertain as Gunn and Safran decide upon their 10-year plan for the DCU.