Following up on our Donald Trump Making Superman Great Again exclusive, new reports confirm what we told you weeks ago — the Trump administration is backing Paramount Skydance in the race to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of DC, CNN, and HBO.
According to The New York Post, Paramount Skydance — headed by David Ellison, son of billionaire Larry Ellison, a longtime Trump ally — is now “in the catbird seat” as the administration weighs who will take control of the media giant.
If Skydance takes control, we’ve been told James Gunn is out.
Paramount Skydance Has Trump’s Backing
A senior Trump administration official told The Post, “Who owns Warner Bros. Discovery is very important to the administration.”
The official added that Warner Bros. Discovery’s board “needs to think very seriously not just on the price competition but which player in the suitor pool has been successful getting a deal done — and that points to the Ellisons.”
This comes just weeks after our reporting that Trump personally praised Larry and David Ellison, calling them “friends” and “big supporters of mine.” The Ellisons’ Skydance-Paramount merger was already blessed by Trump earlier this year, and now it appears the same alliance could take over Warner Bros. Discovery.
Other rumored suitors — Netflix, Amazon, and Comcast — reportedly face significant regulatory barriers under Trump’s DOJ and FCC. Apple is said to be in the mix, too.
Zaslav Running Out Of Options
WBD CEO David Zaslav reportedly kicked off the sale process this week, with estimates placing the company’s value at up to $80 billion.
The Post notes that Zaslav has already rejected three previous bids from Ellison, including a $23.50-per-share offer (Deadline has reported $24), but that the next one may come as a hostile public bid appealing directly to shareholders.
Industry observers say Zaslav is running out of leverage — and allies — as Trump’s DOJ and FCC prepare to oversee the deal. One insider told The Post, “Warner really needs to think very hard about the odds of success getting the deal cleared with players outside of Paramount Skydance.”
Why It Matters For DC And Superman
If Paramount Skydance wins, DC Studios and DC Comics will fall under Ellison’s control — and with Trump’s backing, the woke era at DC will come to an end, which we also expect to impact DC Comics. As we’ve already reported, that shift is underway, with DC Comics recently cutting ties with trans writer Gretchen Felker-Martin.
David Ellison wants to put out good content and make money.
As we reported earlier, we expect the Ellisons plan to restore “Truth, Justice, and the American Way” to Superman and the rest of DC’s heroes.
That also likely spells the end for James Gunn’s woke DCU, which has already faced backlash over the creative direction of Superman and especially Peacemaker, which mocked Jesus and said our world is the equivalent of a Nazi-controlled universe. Reports also offer that Gunn’s DCU has been a financial flop.
We’ve been told Gunn’s time at DC is limited and that the Ellisons plan a full creative reset, with Mike De Luca the best-case scenario to take over DC Studios.
Confirming what we have said, Gunn recently questioned his future with DC.
