It was a tall order for the Disney+ series “X-Men ‘97” to follow in the footsteps of the beloved classic, “X-Men: The Animated Series.” However, the revival was a big hit for Marvel and renewed for a second season.
Fans were shocked when creator/head writer Beau DeMayo was suddenly fired before the premiere of Season 1 in March. Neither side revealed details on his exit until recently. On Thursday, DeMayo posted several messages on social media claiming that he was fired for a photo he posted on Instagram in June to celebrate Pride Month.
Along with the fan art of what appears to be a shirtless DeMayo as Cyclops, he wrote on X, “Firstly, I’m so grateful to have worked on #XMen97, collaborating with some amazingly talented folks. Creating this revival was a dream come true and the support fans have shown is so touching. However, I felt it pressing for me to speak up in the wake of leaving the show.”
“Above is #XMen fan-art I posted on Instagram for Gay Pride in June,” he continued. “On June 13, #Marvel sent a letter notifying me that they’d stripped my Season 2 credits due to the post. Sadly, this is the latest in a troubling pattern I suffered through while working on #XMen97 and #Blade.”
“I’ll have more to say soon but must take a step back from social media to find a safer space for me to be out, proud, and nerdy. Stay tuned,” he added.
Following DeMayo’s social media posts, Marvel Studios responded to his claims in a statement:
“Mr. DeMayo was terminated in March 2024 following an internal investigation. Given the egregious nature of the findings, we severed ties with him immediately and he has no further affiliation with Marvel.”
According to Variety, its sources say he was fired because there was evidence of alleged sexual misconduct. The outlet also claims “DeMayo repeatedly violated his termination agreement, which led to the removal of his credits for Season 2.”
Obviously, there’s still a lot we don’t know about all this behind-the-scenes drama, but controversy engulfing one of its biggest TV hits is the last thing Marvel Studios needs. “X-Men ‘97” reenergized fans, building new interest in the popular superhero team before “Deadpool & Wolverine” dominated the big screen. The studio is desperately trying to recapture its previous magic and these kind of headlines don’t help.
Based on DeMayo’s follow up posts, it seems like this might get messier before all is said and done.
Alongside a link to Variety’s report, the “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” writer posted, “The truth will be revealed. After their Disney Plus disaster, Marvel wants to mislead with alleged contract breaches over tweets. It’s tragic it’s come to this but unsurprising. Stay tuned.”
He added: “This is their Disney-Marvel’s usual playbook. Legal letters as well as other items to prove their long-standing pattern to follow. It’s about finding a safe outlet. Thanks for your faith and patience.”
We don’t know where this situation is headed, but it’s going to be difficult for Marvel to keep this from overshadowing Season 2 of “X-Men ‘97.”