DC Universe Survives $111B Warner Bros. Takeover

The future of DC Studios is safe. A federal judge approved the settlement that clears Paramount's $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, with the deal set to close on October 6, Collider reports. The combined company will be called Skydance, bringing Warner Bros., Paramount, HBO, CBS, CNN, Paramount+ and HBO Max under one roof.

But the big question was whether James Gunn and Peter Safran's DC Universe would survive the merger intact. According to Collider, it will. Gunn's bosses are changing, but he's being left alone to run DC as he sees fit.

Gunn's Superman kicked off the new DCU last summer, earning 83% from critics and 90% from verified audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, with a worldwide box office of more than $618 million. A sequel, Man of Tomorrow, is already in production. Up next on the big screen is Clayface. On the TV side, Lanterns is performing well, and Peacemaker has been a hit. Creature Commandos and Peacemaker Season 2 both hold Rotten Tomatoes scores above 90% from reviewers.

Not every DC title has matched that success. Supergirl, starring Milly Alcock, scored just 53% from critics and 72% from audiences, with a worldwide box office of $126 million against a reported budget of at least $170 million.

The bigger unknown, Collider notes, is what the new ownership eventually decides to do with Warner Bros.' various businesses. David Ellison's combined company will carry a huge debt load and is targeting billions in savings after the merger, so changes are expected across the operation.

• DC Studios
• James Gunn
• Paramount+
• Skydance
• Supergirl
• Superman
• Warner Bros. Discovery