Warner Bros. initially wanted Todd Phillips to run DC Studios.
"The whole town turned the job down... It was almost Todd Phillips. They begged him," says an insider.
James Gunn and Peter Safran were eventually chosen as co-CEOs of DC Studios.
The reshuffling at DC Studios has led to a complete reboot of the DCEU.
Stars from the old DCEU, including Gal Gadot and Henry Cavill, will no longer appear in planned films.
There has been a backlash to the changes, particularly those involving Cavill.
Cavill never had a written contract with DC Studios, and plans for a "Man of Steel" sequel never made it past a verbal agreement.
James Gunn is working on a Superman film centered on a younger Clark Kent.
The only upcoming films that have not been scrapped are "Blue Beetle," "The Flash," "Shazam! Fury of the Gods," and "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom."
Jason Momoa may be recast in a different role, and the "Aquaman" saga may end.
No official announcements have been made yet.