James Gunn missing David Ellison’s first big Warner Bros. Discovery meeting might raise questions, but a social media post from Gunn may already explain why.
According to the trades, Ellison recently met with around 150 WBD employees, with Peter Safran in attendance, along with Warner Bros. film chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy.
Gunn, however, was not there, which stood out since he is one of the heads of DC Studios.
Update: It’s even reported that Ellison mentioned DC twice at the meeting. Via Deadline: “He leaned into theatrical more than when [Netflix Co-CEO] Ted Sarandos spoke to the executives back in December,” one insider said. “And he name-checked DC twice. He loves DC.”
Gunn appears to be in Atlanta for pre-production
However, Gunn previously posted from Atlanta and said, “Pre-production can be long and lonely so I love it when friends come to visit us in Atlanta,” which points to him being deep in work on Man of Tomorrow.
With filming on the next Superman movie said to begin around April 17, Gunn being in Atlanta for pre-production makes a lot more sense than any immediate panic over him skipping the meeting.
Update: While in Atlanta, Gunn teases that the Daily Planet newsroom is back.
Peter Safran represented DC Studios
Safran attending the meeting is also important. He is Gunn’s co-head at DC Studios and also has larger ties to Warner Bros. as a producer, so DC still had representation in the room.
Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy being there fits as well, since both oversee Warner Bros. film operations.
Gunn’s absence does look odd on the surface, but it appears there may have been a practical reason for it.
Why Gunn missing still got noticed
Even with the Atlanta explanation, Gunn not being present at Ellison’s first major WBD gathering is still something people are going to notice.
Studio heads are usually expected to show up for major meetings like this, especially when a new power structure is taking shape.
Safran being there softens it, but Gunn being away still opens the door to speculation.
