DC Studios is an American film and television production company that is a division of
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). It is responsible for the production of live-action and animated films and television series, as well as video games, based on characters from the
American comic book
An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...
publisher
DC Comics
DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
, primarily as part of its flagship
media franchise
A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program, o ...
and
shared universe
A shared universe or shared world is a fictional universe from a set of creative works where one or more writers (or other artists) independently contribute works that can stand alone but fits into the joint development of the storyline, charact ...
, the
DC Universe
The DC Universe (DCU) is the shared universe in which most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. In context, the term "DC Universe" usually refers to the main DC Continuity (fiction), continuity. It contains v ...
(DCU). The studio has been led by writer/director
James Gunn
James Francis Gunn Jr. (born August 5, 1966) is an American filmmaker. He began his career as a screenwriter in the mid-1990s, starting at Troma Entertainment with ''Tromeo and Juliet'' (1996). He then began working as a director, starting wi ...
and producer
Peter Safran as its co-chairmen and co-CEOs since it was formed in November 2022.
The studio's predecessor, DC Films, was formed in May 2016 as a division of
Warner Bros. Pictures to oversee DC-based film productions, primarily those from its shared universe franchise the
DC Extended Universe
The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that appear in American comic books published by DC Comic ...
(DCEU). It was led by DC comic book and television writer
Geoff Johns
Geoffrey Johns (born January 25, 1973) is an American comic book writer, screenwriter, and film and television producer. Johns's work on the DC Comics characters Green Lantern, Aquaman, Flash (comics), Flash, and Superman has drawn critical accl ...
and Warner Bros. producer Jon Berg as co-chairmen. After several DCEU films received poor reception and underperformed financially, the duo stepped down by the end of 2017, and the division was reorganized, with
Walter Hamada
Walter Hamada is an American film executive and producer. He joined New Line Cinema in 2007, where he served as an executive producer on horror films such as ''The Conjuring'' (2013), ''Annabelle (film), Annabelle'' (2014), ''The Conjuring 2'' ( ...
hired as the studio's president. Following the merger of DC and Warner Bros. owner
WarnerMedia
Warner Media, LLC (Trade name, doing business as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational corporation, multinational mass media and show business, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate owned by AT&T. It was headquartered at the 30 ...
with
Discovery, Inc. in April 2022, WBD overhauled operations, resulting in Hamada stepping down in October 2022. DC Films was then dissolved in favor of DC Studios, a new division with greater oversight of DC media. Gunn and Safran, who had worked on some DCEU projects, were hired to lead the studio, and the duo began work on the DCU as a new franchise to serve as a
soft reboot of the DCEU.
From 2016 to 2023, DC Films produced 13 films within the DCEU, from ''
Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad is an antihero/supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first version of the Suicide Squad debuted in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #25 (September 1959) and the second and modern version, cre ...
'' (2016) to ''
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom'' (2023), alongside two standalone films, ''
Joker'' (2019) and ''
The Batman'' (2022). ''Joker'' and the studio's film ''
Aquaman
Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles ...
'' (2018) are among the
50 highest-grossing films of all time, with ''Joker'' becoming the first
R-rated film to gross over $1 billion. The first DC Studios production is the television series ''
The Penguin
The Penguin (Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character made his first appearance in ''Detective Comics'' #5 ...
'' (2024), a spin-off from ''The Batman''. DC Studios plans to release films and television series within the DCU, starting with the animated series ''
Creature Commandos
The Creature Commandos are the name of several military special forces groups appearing in American comic book, American comic books published by DC Comics. Co-created by writer J. M. DeMatteis and artist Pat Broderick, the team first appeared i ...
'' in 2024, and the film ''
Superman
Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
'' in 2025. Productions that are not part of the DCU are set to be part of the "
DC Elseworlds" label. The studio's first animated film will be ''
Dynamic Duo'' (2028).
History
Formation of DC Films and initial developments (2016–2022)

After the divisive reception to ''
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice'' (2016),
Warner Bros. Pictures sought to stabilize the direction of its media franchise and
shared universe
A shared universe or shared world is a fictional universe from a set of creative works where one or more writers (or other artists) independently contribute works that can stand alone but fits into the joint development of the storyline, charact ...
, the
DC Extended Universe
The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that appear in American comic books published by DC Comic ...
(DCEU). In May 2016, the studio reorganized to have genre-responsible film executives, thus
DC Entertainment
DC Entertainment is an American entertainment company that was founded in September 2009 and is based in Burbank, California. The company is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery which manages DC Comics characters by working with other units ...
films under Warner Bros. Pictures were placed under a new division, DC Films, to be led by Warner Bros.
executive vice president
A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...
, Jon Berg, and the
chief creative officer of
DC Comics
DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
,
Geoff Johns
Geoffrey Johns (born January 25, 1973) is an American comic book writer, screenwriter, and film and television producer. Johns's work on the DC Comics characters Green Lantern, Aquaman, Flash (comics), Flash, and Superman has drawn critical accl ...
. This was done in hopes of competing more directly with
Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios, LLC, formerly known as Marvel Films, is an American film and television production company. Marvel Studios is the creator of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a media franchise and shared universe of films and television ser ...
' franchise, the
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
. Johns kept his role at DC Comics, and reported to DC Entertainment's president,
Diane Nelson, while Berg reported to Warner Bros. Pictures' president, Greg Silverman.
The division's formation was not designed to override the "director-driven" mandate.
''
Justice League
The Justice League, or Justice League of America (JLA), is a group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). Writer Gardner Fox conceived the ...
'' (2017) had one of the biggest film budgets (nearly $300 million) but grossed about $96 million in its opening weekend. An analysis in ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' expected that there would be a course correction again, with a possible change in leadership.
''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'' contributors felt that the course correction would be for DC Films to give up on the shared universe, while continuing with the ''
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...
'' films and occasionally other films, as Warner Bros. had other franchises they could work with.
Despite this, in December, the studio reiterated their planned film slate for the DCEU.
That same month, Warner Bros. announced that a new strategy and organization of DC Films would occur, with Berg leaving his position as the studio's co-president of production to form a Warner Bros.–based production company with
Roy Lee.
Johns was expected to remain involved in future DC films moving forward in an advisory role while continuing as the president and chief creative officer of DC Entertainment, with Warner Bros. expected to hire a new studio head.
In January 2018, Warner Bros. executive
Walter Hamada
Walter Hamada is an American film executive and producer. He joined New Line Cinema in 2007, where he served as an executive producer on horror films such as ''The Conjuring'' (2013), ''Annabelle (film), Annabelle'' (2014), ''The Conjuring 2'' ( ...
was appointed as the new president of DC Films, to oversee the films in the DCEU. Hamada was closely associated with
New Line Cinema
New Line Productions, Inc., Trade name, doing business as New Line Cinema, is an American film production, film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, a division of the Major film studios, ...
, and helped develop horror films, such as ''
It'' (2017) and ''
The Conjuring'' film franchise.
Johns subsequently left his role at DC Entertainment that June and he was no longer involved with the DCEU.
Restructuring and immediate changes (2022)
In April 2022, after the merger between Warner Bros.' parent company
WarnerMedia
Warner Media, LLC (Trade name, doing business as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational corporation, multinational mass media and show business, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate owned by AT&T. It was headquartered at the 30 ...
and
Discovery, Inc. to form
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), the new CEO
David Zaslav was exploring a restructuring of DC Entertainment, including having a creative leader akin to Marvel Studios president
Kevin Feige
Kevin Feige ( ; born June 2, 1973) is an American film and television producer. He has been the president of Marvel Studios and the primary producer of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) franchise since 2007. The films he has produced have a co ...
to lead its film and television projects.
Later in July,
Toby Emmerich stepped down as the head of the Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group. The group was restructured to give DC Films, Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema, and
Warner Animation Group respective leadership. Former
MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...
executives
Michael De Luca
Michael De Luca (born August 13, 1965) is an American film studio executive, film producer and screenwriter. He is also the former president of production at both New Line Cinema and DreamWorks. De Luca has been nominated for three Academy Aw ...
and
Pamela Abdy became the co-executives of Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema. They were also temporarily signed to oversee the remaining units of the group until the new positions were filled.
When the release of the film ''
Batgirl
Batgirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts and allies to the superhero Batman. The character Bette Kane, Betty Kane was introduced into publica ...
'' was canceled by WBD in August, Hamada was not consulted regarding the decision and only learned about it when De Luca and Abdy informed him at a test screening for ''
Black Adam'' (2022). Hamada was upset and considered resigning, but agreed to stay until ''Black Adam'' release.
Later that month,
Dan Lin entered talks to oversee DC's film and television divisions. From this position, Lin was expected to report directly to Zaslav, while Hamada would depart the studio.
In September, Lin and WBD ended negotiations and agreed to part ways.
During ''Black Adam'' Times Square premiere in October, star and producer
Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972), also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American actor and professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on a part-time basis. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional w ...
said he could be a consultant at DC Films, helping the studio find its next creative leader.
Later that month, it was reported that De Luca had been effectively running DC Films in place of Hamada.
On October 19, Hamada departed the company, two days before the release of ''Black Adam''.
Formation of DC Studios and new leadership (since 2022)
Less than a week after Hamada's departure, writer/director
James Gunn
James Francis Gunn Jr. (born August 5, 1966) is an American filmmaker. He began his career as a screenwriter in the mid-1990s, starting at Troma Entertainment with ''Tromeo and Juliet'' (1996). He then began working as a director, starting wi ...
and producer
Peter Safran, who had previously worked together on the DCEU projects ''
The Suicide Squad'' (2021) and its spin-off series ''
Peacemaker'' (2022), were announced as the co-CEOs and co-chairmen of DC Studios, a newly-created production entity under WBD. DC Films was dissolved, and DC Studios helped oversee the remaining films from the studio that were pending release in 2023. The duo was tasked with leading the production of films, television, animation, and video games under the DC label, reporting directly to Zaslav, while also working alongside but independently of the heads of WBD's other divisions. Gunn oversees the creative development of DC projects, while Safran supervises the production side. Their roles officially began on November 1, 2022.
In November, Gunn said that the studio would focus on multiple DCU live-action and animated projects, but also stated that they would acknowledge fan responses and complaints,
and confirmed all subsequent DC projects would be released under the DC Studios banner, including those that were filmed before the formation of the studio.
In December, Gunn announced that he was writing a new Superman film that would feature a younger actor in the role.
Henry Cavill was not set to return as
Superman
Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
, while
Ben Affleck
Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is an American actor and filmmaker. His accolades include two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and three Golden Globes. Affleck began his career as a child when he starred in the PBS educatio ...
, who portrayed
Bruce Wayne / Batman in the DCEU, was reported to be in talks to direct a new DC Studios project, before Affleck stated that he was not interested in directing a DC film.
Gunn later revealed that new DC films would have an equal focus on popular and obscure characters, drawing inspiration from the DC animated series ''
Justice League Unlimited
''Justice League Unlimited'' (''JLU'') is an American superhero animated series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation with DC Comics in season 3 and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Universe, and ...
'' (2004–2006) and ''
Young Justice'' (2010–2022).
On January 31, 2023, Gunn and Safran announced the first slate of DCU content, titled "
Chapter One: Gods and Monsters". They also assembled a
writers' room that included
Drew Goddard,
Jeremy Slater,
Christina Hodson, Christal Henry, and
Tom King.
Projects that are not a part of the shared universe will be branded as "
DC Elseworlds".
The following month, Gunn confirmed development for animated films within both the DCU and DC Elseworlds.
Gunn said in March that they were working on potentially incorporating characters from DC's
Vertigo Comics
DC Vertigo, also known as Vertigo Comics or simply Vertigo, is an Imprint (trade name), imprint of the American comic book publisher DC Comics. Vertigo publishes comics with adult comics, adult content, such as nudity, drug use, profanity, and ...
imprint beyond the ''
Swamp Thing'' film,
and said the following month that there were plans to incorporate characters from the DC-owned
Milestone Media
Milestone Media Company LLC is the media company which created the Milestone Comics line, which were published and distributed by DC Comics. Milestone Media created the source material that was adapted as the '' Static Shock'' animated series. T ...
, such as
Static.
In September, WBD announced that it would expand its production facility at
Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, England, which would serve as the primary production hub for DC Studios. Gunn and Safran were consulting on the expansion, with work starting in the second quarter of 2024 and was expected to be finished in 2027.
In February 2024, Gunn and Safran worked with WBD corporate siblings to acquire the
Christopher Reeve
Christopher D'Olier Reeve (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, activist, director, and author. He amassed Christopher Reeve on stage and screen, several stage and screen credits in his 34-year career, including playin ...
documentary ''
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story'' (2024).
This is the first film to be released under the DC Studios banner,
while ''
The Penguin
The Penguin (Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character made his first appearance in ''Detective Comics'' #5 ...
'' (2024) is the first DC Studios production and the first series to be released under that banner.
At
San Diego Comic-Con
San Diego Comic-Con is a comic book convention and multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center. Founded in 1970, originally showcasing primarily comic books and science fiction/fant ...
in July 2024, Gunn unveiled the official logo for DC Studios as an updated version of the 1977 "
DC Bullet" logo designed by
Milton Glaser, alongside an animated introduction sequence featuring Superman,
in a recreation of the back cover of
''Superman'' #1 (1939) designed by
Warner Bros. Animation.
The updated logo was also being used for DC Comics and its affiliated units,
but was not used for some earlier projects that DC Studios had inherited, namely ''The Penguin'' and the animated series ''
Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn (Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel, PhD) is a fictional American character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm for ''Batman: The Animated Series'' as a henchwoman for the ...
'' (2019–present), because they were not as involved in those. A slightly different DC Studios logo animation is used for the end credits on ''The Penguin'', while a separate logo and opening animation are set to be used for future projects released under the "DC Elseworlds" banner.
That October, DC Studios and
Warner Bros. Pictures Animation greenlit the theatrical animated film ''
Dynamic Duo'' (2028), which is DC Studios's first animated film and the first new project to move forward at the studio following its DCU announcements.
The film ''
Joker: Folie à Deux'' (2024) is part of the "DC Elseworlds" label and was overseen by Warner Bros. Pictures co-chiefs De Luca and Abdy, without the involvement of Gunn, Safran, or DC Studios, although the DC logo used before that studio's formation is included in the credits. At the time of the film's release later that month, Gunn said that "
l future films with DC characters
ouldbe DC Studios" productions moving forward,
and he later clarified that the studio would release every subsequent film and television adaptation from DC.
Ahead of the premiere of the DCU series ''
Creature Commandos
The Creature Commandos are the name of several military special forces groups appearing in American comic book, American comic books published by DC Comics. Co-created by writer J. M. DeMatteis and artist Pat Broderick, the team first appeared i ...
'' in December 2024, DC Studios announced the unscripted biweekly video podcast series ''DC Studios Showcase: The Official Podcast'', produced by
OBB Sound for the streaming service
Max
Max or MAX may refer to:
Animals
* Max (American dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog
* Max (British dog), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of the OBE)
* Max (gorilla) ...
.
Later that month, they also announced the launch of its DC Studios Fan First newsletter via DC's website, to provide updates on the company's projects, with an introduction message written by Gunn.
In February 2025, DC Studios announced that it had greenlit three "younger-skewed" animated series—''
Starfire!'', ''
My Adventures with Green Lantern'', and ''
DC Super Powers''—which were being co-produced with Warner Bros. Animation.
The adult animation series ''
Mister Miracle
Mister Miracle is the name of three fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first and third are humans Thaddeus Brown and Shilo Norman, while the second is New God Scott Free. The Scott Free incarnat ...
'', also co-produced with that studio, was announced in June.
Management
Current
*
James Gunn
James Francis Gunn Jr. (born August 5, 1966) is an American filmmaker. He began his career as a screenwriter in the mid-1990s, starting at Troma Entertainment with ''Tromeo and Juliet'' (1996). He then began working as a director, starting wi ...
– Co-chairman and co-chief executive officer (CEO), DC Studios; Gunn serves in leadership as creative head for the company (November 2022–present)
*
Peter Safran – Co-chairman and co-chief executive officer (CEO), DC Studios; Safran serves in leadership over the business aspects of the company (November 2022–present)
* – Executive Vice President (EVP), Production, DC Studios; Nong oversees the production and creative development of DC-based films, television, and animation (November 2022–present);
formerly Senior Vice President, Feature Development and Production of DC Films, overseeing creative development and production management of DC-based films (February 2018 – November 2022)
* – Executive Vice President (EVP), Publicity and Communications; McDonough oversees media relations, publicity, and external and employee communications (July 2023–present)
* – Vice President (VP), Creative Development; former assistant to Jon Berg
Former
* – Executive Vice President (EVP) and co-president of production,
Warner Bros. Pictures; co-chairman of DC Films; and co-runner of the DCEU (May 2016 – December 2017)
*
Geoff Johns
Geoffrey Johns (born January 25, 1973) is an American comic book writer, screenwriter, and film and television producer. Johns's work on the DC Comics characters Green Lantern, Aquaman, Flash (comics), Flash, and Superman has drawn critical accl ...
– Co-chairman of DC Films (May 2016 – December 2017);
president and
chief creative officer,
DC Entertainment
DC Entertainment is an American entertainment company that was founded in September 2009 and is based in Burbank, California. The company is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery which manages DC Comics characters by working with other units ...
(February 2010 – June 2018); and co-runner of the DCEU (2015 – June 2018)
*
Walter Hamada
Walter Hamada is an American film executive and producer. He joined New Line Cinema in 2007, where he served as an executive producer on horror films such as ''The Conjuring'' (2013), ''Annabelle (film), Annabelle'' (2014), ''The Conjuring 2'' ( ...
– President, DC-Based Film Production, Warner Bros. Pictures (January 2018 – October 2022)
Production library
Films
All of the live-action and animated films by DC Films and DC Studios are distributed by
Warner Bros. Pictures.
Live-action films
= Produced by DC Films
=
= Produced by DC Studios
=
In addition to the following films, DC Studios has also reserved release dates for unspecified films on May 29, 2026, and March 5, 2027.
Animated film
Documentary film
Television
Live-action series
All of the live-action television series by DC Studios are co-produced in association with
Warner Bros. Television.
Animated series
All of the animated television series by DC Studios, except for ''
Beast Boy: Lone Wolf'', are co-produced in association with
Warner Bros. Animation.
Podcast
See also
*
DC Entertainment
DC Entertainment is an American entertainment company that was founded in September 2009 and is based in Burbank, California. The company is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery which manages DC Comics characters by working with other units ...
*
List of films based on DC Comics publications
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book publishers. It produces material featuring numerous well-known superhero characters, including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Aquaman, and Green Arrow. M ...
*
List of television series based on DC Comics publications
*
List of unproduced DC Comics projects
*
Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios, LLC, formerly known as Marvel Films, is an American film and television production company. Marvel Studios is the creator of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a media franchise and shared universe of films and television ser ...
Notes
References
External links
* at
DC.com
{{Portal bar, 2010s, 2020s, Companies, Film, Television, Animation, United States, California, Speculative fiction, Comics
2016 establishments in California
2022 establishments in California
American companies established in 2016
American companies established in 2022
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Companies based in Burbank, California
Studios
A studio is a space set aside for creative work of any kind, including art, dance, music and theater.
The word ''studio'' is derived from the , from , from ''studere'', meaning to Wiktionary:study, study or zeal.
Types Art
The studio o ...
Entertainment companies based in California
Film production companies of the United States
Mass media companies established in 2016
Mass media companies established in 2022
Television production companies of the United States
Warner Bros. divisions