James Gunn Is Leaving DC – What Happens to Peacemaker and Glam Metal?
James Gunn, known as a man behind Peacemaker known for his love of contemporary sleaze glam music, is stepping down as co-CEO of DC Studios, ending his four-year run alongside Peter Safran.
The announcement came on November 9, following Skydance’s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, with former Marvel executive Jeremy Latcham appointed as the studio’s new President and Chief Creative Officer, effective December 1.
However, James Gunn isn’t leaving DC altogether (yet), as both he and Safran will return to full-time creative work. He is still attached to upcoming DC projects, including Man of Tomorrow, the next Superman film scheduled for July 2027, although the studio’s overall creative direction will now be in someone else’s hands.
One of the biggest questions in this situation, concerning sleaze glam fans, is what this means for Peacemaker, a TV series that gave the exposure to old and new sleaze metal, glam and hair metal acts? James Gunn previously said there were no immediate plans for a third season, despite leaving the door open for the character’s return in the wider DC Universe. He could still develop another season, but the final decision will now rest with the new management, and there has been no official confirmation of either a third season or cancellation.
As mentioned. this change is worth watching from rock music prespective as Peacemaker has become an unexpected platform for sleaze and glam metal, featuring bands such as Wig Wam, Foxy Shazam, Hardcore Superstar, The Cruel Intentions, H.E.A.T, Wildstreet and Steel Panther. Gunn’s departure doesn’t necessarily mean that this musical identity will disappear, but the future exposure of these bands will depend on his involvement and the direction chosen by the new DC leadership.
Junkyard Opinion: Let’s be honest. Peacemaker was never quite in the same league as Stranger Things or some of the other big television productions. It wasn’t particularly groundbreaking either, but it still meant a great deal to our scene, becoming a major platform for promoting the music we love: sleaze and glam metal. Before this, it was almost unthinkable to hear not just one song by a modern sleaze band in a Hollywood production, but an entire playlist serving as its musical backbone. Much of the credit goes to James Gunn, who is a huge fan of classic 80s bands and, in particular, contemporary acts such as Hardcore Superstar and The Cruel Intentions, Wig Wam and more. Now that he is no longer running the studio, Gunn will be able to devote more time to creative work, but he will have to get approval from his superiors for every major decision. That probably includes the music, assuming a third season of Peacemaker even gets made. All things considered, the chances of everything continuing as before, with sleaze bands getting another round of exposure, are looking pretty slim. It also depends on what will his status be in DC in the future… But we’ll be keeping an eye on things, just as we have so far.
