Geoff Johns out as chief creative officer at DC, will get WB producing deal

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

"Ch-ch-ch-changes!"

– David Bowie

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, it's time for a good old fashioned shake up over at DC Entertainment! It's been announced that Geoff Johns, the label's longtime chief creative officer is stepping down. Now, before you tilt your head in preparation to scream into the void, you should know that he's secured a first look producing deal with Warner Bros where he will write movie projects to produce for Mad Ghost Productions. In essence, he will continue to be a major player in DC films upcoming ventures. It's also been said that one of Johns' first projects upon assuming his new position will be GREEN LANTERN CORPS, based on DC's intergalactic police heroes which Johns has spent a total of nine years writing, on-and-off.

If you've been keeping your finger on the pulse of Johns' involvement with DC as of late, this news will not surprise you in the least. Some would even go so far as to say that the writing was on the wall for Johns to make the move, after his partner John Berg stepped into his new position as a lot-based producer for Warner Bros. and Diane Nelson announced her retirement from the company.

“I took on a role at DCE because I love the characters and this universe more than anything. But, I want to spend my days writing and on set.  I’m thrilled to get back to a more hands-on creative role.  It’s a dream job on dream projects, reaching even deeper into DC’s vast pantheon of characters,” said Johns in a statement. 

With DC looking to make a swift transition in the face of Johns re-positioning himself, the company has announced that DC Entertainment publisher Jim Lee will fill the chief creative officer position. This is actually very good news. The change will allow Johns to get deeper into the creative side of things while Lee can take a more active role in the DCEU arena. The shuffle also points toward DC's interest in distancing themselves from director Zack Snyder, whose de-saturated and all-but-humorless approach to the DC Universe has not gone over well with the majority of fans. With Snyder moving on to other projects, it creates a opportunity for Toby Emmerich to step in and really turn DC's world upside down. The decision to appoint Lee to the position of chief creative officer comes with DC Entertainment looking to wow audiences in the months to come with the release of James Wan's AQUAMAN, David F. Sandberg's SHAZAM!, and the sequel to Patty Jenkin's WONDER WOMAN.

“Geoff is a super talented writer and truly embedded in the DC Universe and its characters,” stated Emmerich. “We’re thrilled that he’s returning to his passion and his roots as a writer and producer.  And, it’s even better that he’s staying in our Warner Bros. family.  We look forward to working with him on ‘Green Lantern’ and other projects going forward.”

What changes would you like to see come to DC Entertainment's superhero filmverse? Are there any specific director's you'd like to see come aboard? Which heroes or villains have yet to be represented on the big screen that you're simply dying to see the fray? Let us know in the comments section below.