Following our own reports and the rumors, we have even more evidence that James Gunn will be out at DC once the sale of WBD goes through.
Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy are moving full speed ahead at Warner Bros., even as the company heads toward a sale, while James Gunn appears increasingly sidelined.
The contrast says plenty about where real power sits during the Warner Bros. Discovery transition.
De Luca and Pam Abdy launch new company at WB
Deadline reports that De Luca and Pam Abdy, heads of WB films, are launching a new contemporary film label at Warner Bros., continuing active development and long-term planning despite the pending Netflix acquisition.
Gunn, meanwhile, has been publicly scrambling — running to YouTubers and Bloomberg — in what looks like an effort to save his job.
Also, don’t forget De Luca dated his Minecraft sequel release only two weeks after Gunn’s Man of Tomorrow. HBO also released the Lanterns teaser only a day after Gunn released the Supergirl trailer.
De Luca And Pam Abdy Launch New Warner Bros. Film Label
The label will target digital-native and Gen Z audiences, focusing on innovative, targeted marketing campaigns and lower-cost theatrical films. The goal is two to three titles per year, not a high-volume slate.
Deadline notes the project was in development well before plans to split Warner Bros. Discovery and before Netflix’s bid to acquire film, TV production, and HBO Max assets. So that means it will carry over once the sale of WBD goes through.
De Luca’s Stability vs. Gunn’s Uncertainty
The difference in treatment between De Luca and James Gunn is striking.
David Zaslav quietly extended Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Studios contract — but only by six months. That timeline conveniently lines up with the expected sale of WBD, suggesting the extension is more of a holding pattern than a vote of confidence.
By contrast, De Luca and Abdy are clearly locked in. Their development slate continues uninterrupted, and insiders say their contracts will carry over once WBD is sold, no matter who buys them.
While Gunn has been making media appearances attempting to control the narrative around DC Studios, De Luca is simply doing the work — launching labels, hiring executives, and shaping Warner Bros.’ future slate.
Insiders: DC Likely Ends Up Under De Luca
According to insiders, once the WBD sale is finalized, DC is likely to eventually fall under De Luca’s oversight.
While James Gunn faces shrinking timelines and public uncertainty, Mike De Luca is building infrastructure for the next era of Warner Bros. filmmaking.
One executive is launching new labels and hiring top talent. The other is fighting for relevance. Gunn only has Man of Tomorrow in the works, which was already on the schedule. The DCU Batman? Confirmed on hold.
The difference says it all.
De Luca also had plans to bring back Snyder’s DCEU, which was axed when Gunn took over.
