Senior Vice President and General Manager of DC Comics, Daniel Cherry, is leaving the company and rumored to be heading for a new project in collaboration with entertainer Kanye West. Cherry’s exit comes after working for DC for less than two years after his hiring in September of 2020. While details of his departure remain mum for now, the action adds to the chaos experienced by DC in the last several years.
2020 was a tumultuous year for DC. Aside from the outbreak of COVID-19, the company experienced a massive reshaping that began with the exit of longtime co-publisher Dan Didio. Things only got worse as the company experienced a massive wave of layoffs that included editors, sales and marketing departments. The downsizing came at a time when parent company AT&T was making changes all across the board, months before it was announced AT&T would be merging with Discovery. The rapid pace of change for the large conglomerate has caused several notable shakeups within DC, and it seems that Daniel Cherry’s exit is the latest headache for the company.
The internet exploded with articles reporting on the SVP and General Manager leaving DC Comics. Though no official reason was given, channels such as The Hollywood Reporter characterized the move as Cherry quitting. The reports also indicate an abrupt break, noting that Cherry had a vision to "future-proof" DC Comics by boosting the company's presence worldwide. Though 2021 was reportedly a fantastic year for the DC brand, Cherry left after a mere sixteen month tenure. The Hollywood Reporter cited a story by Bleeding Cool's Rich Johnston that Daniel Cherry was personally courted to embark on a new digital venture with rapper Kanye West.
While it remains to be seen what exactly what West's new venture is or what Cherry's role will be, the news doesn't bode well for DC. Ever since Dan Didio's exit, the company has made headline after headline with its upper management being replaced or positions being shuttered altogether. Though the creative teams are trucking along, it was worrying enough when layoffs were being mandated by the higher ups above DC. With Daniel Cherry choosing to leave DC Comics, the image of the company's health may worsen in the public eye. Writers and artists could become wary of signing contracts, turning them away towards the competition. This may just be speculation, but there's no denying that problems that start at the top have a way of affecting everything.
Though there's no reason to assume the company is in peril right now, steps will obviously need to be taken to ensure stability in the coming months. As Daniel Cherry begins his possible future with Kanye, DC Comics can learn from this and begin rebuilding its internal structure to keep its employees' and fans' fears at bay.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Bleeding Cool