Peter Safran and James Gunn's exit from DC Studios this week has shocked comic book fans. Apart from Supergirl, their DCU projects were both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. Regardless of what Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) users claim, Gunn's DC projects, with the exception of Supergirl, were successful.While he hasn't left DC Studios altogether, it looks like the filmmaker's days in that studio might be numbered. However, despite that, James Gunn did commit some moves during his tenure as the co-CEO of DC Studios that culminated in this week's exit.Disclaimer: This article contains the writer's opinion. Please be advised.What were the five moves that James Gunn made that might have led to his and Peter Safran's exit?Marvel Mania @Sksj002LINKJames Gunn’s biggest mistakes that led to his firing• Killing Hal Jordan despite Kyle Chandler delivering one of the best performances in the DCU.• Greenlighting a Jimmy Olsen sitcom instead of focusing on major DC characters. • Introducing Gorilla Grodd without even having The Flash established makes it even worse.• Making Supergirl the DCU’s second theatrical release when Superman hasn't even established the universe yet.• Prioritising Creature Commandos Season 2 and a Poison Ivy series over major franchises like Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Arrow and Shazam.Here are the five moves that I believe were mistakes on James Gunn's part:Prioritizing niche projects View this post on Instagram Instagram PostJames Gunn made his mark in the wider comic book genre in 2014 with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1. The Guardians were a very niche superhero team before the first movie's release. Gunn brought his love for niche characters to DC. What drew fans' ire was DC's greenlighting of The People v. Gorilla Grodd, a show headlined by Skyler Gisondo's Jimmy Olsen.This show was greenlit while Supergirl was underperforming and before Lanterns was released. Moreover, fans were even angrier that the DCU Batman has not been cast yet. Although the project was announced in 2023, The Brave and the Bold script might not be finished yet.Gunn revealed last week that the casting for Batman would begin "soon", so the script might be at the finishing stage. But Gunn has not confirmed if the script is complete. The status of other projects announced in 2023, such as Paradise Lost, The Authority, and Waller, is similarly unclear.Randomly greenlighting projectsThe Clayface poster | Image Via: Instagram/@clayfacemovieJames Gunn had announced a total of ten projects for the first phase of the DCU, which was called Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters. Here were all the projects that were announced initially:Superman: Legacy – Later released as SupermanThe Authority – ScrappedCreature Commandos – Season 1 streamed between December 2024 and January 2025. Season 2 in productionThe Brave and the Bold – In developmentWaller – No longer in active developmentSupergirl: Woman of Tomorrow - Released as SupergirlLanterns – Season 1 concluded last month. Season 2 rumored to be in developmentSwamp Thing – In developmentBooster Gold – UnconfirmedParadise Lost ­– No longer in active developmentOf these ten announced projects, only Superman, Creature Commandos Season 1, Supergirl, and Lanterns made it to the screen. The remaining six projects are still in development or have been cancelled or put on hold. Instead of focusing on these projects, DC Studios greenlit unplanned projects like Clayface (which, to be fair, is profitable) and The People v. Gorilla Grodd.No TrinityThe DC Trinity in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice | Image Via: YouTube/Warner Bros.Fans have accused James Gunn of only green-lighting projects that suit his tastes. While DC is working on a solo Wonder Woman project and The Brave and the Bold script, neither is finished. Meanwhile, rumors suggest that Adria Arjona might be playing Wonder Woman in Man of Tomorrow. But this casting hasn't been confirmed yet.This lack of development on Batman and Wonder Woman projects is one thing that soured fans on Gunn.Timeline confusionThe DCU continuity | Image Via: Threads/jamesgunnLast year, Gunn said that the DCU continuity was simple: it would follow the release plan. That meant Superman was set after Creature Commandos Season 1. However, this rule is no longer applicable, as The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker Season 1 were also made canon to the DCU with some changes. A fan put forth a DCU timeline that made sense.James Gunn gave his stamp of approval to this fan-made timeline, saying, "Timelines give me anxiety but I think this is pretty good." These words stand in stark contrast to the MCU's approach, as that studio regularly updates its continuity.Gunn was never comfortable with the executive role View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThe Superman director and his co-CEO, Peter Safran, released a joint statement after the news of their exit made its way online. However, Gunn released a more personal statement on his Instagram handle.James Gunn described the filming of Superman, Peacemaker Season 2, and Man of Tomorrow as among the best times of his life, but he also revealed that he found the corporate side of his role "trying":“What only the closest people to me have known over the past four years is my time at DC Studios has been trying, to say the least. I dislike the at-times corporate nature of the job (thanks to Peter for taking the brunt of that). I’m always a very hard worker, but as a filmmaker I would at least get to take short breaks to unwind, and I’ve stolen even that time from both myself and my loved ones over the past four years”It is clear that the filmmaker's heart lies in directing movies rather than in being a CEO. Based on this statement, it seems that Gunn is more than happy to serve as a creative rather than as an executive.What other mistakes do you think Gunn committed? Let us know.