Diane Nelson, President of DC Entertainment, is taking a leave of absence to deal with personal issues. This is not a shock given how the DCEU films, with the exception of Wonder Woman, have been underperforming critically and at the box office. According to Screenrant:
The reason DC Entertainment president Diane Nelson is taking a leave of absence, is to physically recuperate in the wake of multiple personal situations. The move was shared by Warner Brothers CEO Kevin Tsujihara in a memo to DC and Consumer product employees. Saying that Nelson has decided to set “new priorities for herself and her family.” Citing physical distress and a need for recovery, the move has the full blessing of Tsujihara. Nelson is scheduled to depart April 2nd, and while no return date has been set, she is expected to return.
In the interim, Chief Digital Officer and Executive Vice President in charge of Strategy and Business Development Thomas Gewecke will step in to support DC’s executive management team. DC Entertainment’s Dan DiDio, Jim Lee, Geoff Johns, and Amit Desai will continue to run the company’s day to day operations with Gewecke’s support. Gewecke will not be stepping into Nelson’s role but rather act in a capacity to provide assistance if the team needs it from Warner Brothers.
Given that she is expected to return and the positive buzz around both Aquaman and Shazam!, this may not be as ominous as it seems. DC just announced that Ava DuVernay will direct an adaption of Jack Kirby’s New Gods. Maybe it’s a good thing for Diane to take a break so she can come back fully charged to make the DCEU into what fans know it can be.
