Burbank, California - In an unexpected move, director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran have been confirmed as the new leaders of DC's film, television, and animation division.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Gunn will oversee the creative side of things, while the business and production side will be handled by Safran.

The pair will work as co-chairs and co-CEOs of DC Studios, a new division at Warner Bros. that has replaced DC Films.

Gunn has made a significant impact on the landscape of comic book films. The 56-year-old filmmaker directed the first two Guardians of the Galaxy films for Marvel Studios before he was temporarily fired in 2018.

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He then moved over to the DC Extended Universe, where he directed 2019's The Suicide Squad and developed a spin-off TV show, Peacemaker, for HBO Max. Gunn returned to Marvel to work on The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which will be released on Disney+ next month, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which will hit theaters next year.

His proven success record has excited many fans of the DC franchise, which has struggled significantly to keep up with the powerhouse that is the MCU.

Safran has produced several films in the DCEU, including Aquaman, Shazam!, and Gunn's projects, The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker.

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav expressed his excitement about the new leaders.

"I am thrilled to have the singular and complementary talents of James and Peter joining our world-class team and overseeing the creative direction of the storied DC Universe," Zaslav said.