X-Men ’97 made waves before it was even released when creator Beau DeMayo was fired before the series premiere aired. Here’s everything we know about the matter.
The termination was a sudden, jarring affair that caught fans off guard. DeMayo is a prominent writer who has credits on Netflix’s The Witcher and Paramount’s Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
Starting in 2022, DeMayo began working for Marvel Studios as a writer-producer. He wrote for Disney+’s Moon Knight series and was the driving force behind X-Men ’97. But all that came to a sudden end on March 12, when The Hollywood Reporter reported DeMayo had been fired from the animated revival, just two weeks before the series was slated to air its premiere episode.
At the time, DeMayo was said to be working on new scripts for the MCU’s Blade reboot and planning Seasons 2 and 3 of X-Men ’97. So, what happened?
Why was Beau DeMayo fired from X-Men ’97?
Marvel Studios released an official statement on August 16, 2024, for the first time publicly addressing DeMayo’s firing.
This response from Marvel came after the creator of X-Men ’97t claimed he was fired from the company after posting a fan art design on his Instagram for Pride month.
“Mr. DeMayo was terminated in March 2024 following an internal investigation,” stated a Marvel spokesperson to the Hollywood Reporter. “Given the egregious nature of the findings, we severed ties with him immediately, and he has no further affiliation with Marvel.”
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
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. https://t.co/LebsUprzwD
— Beau DeMayo (@BeauDemayo) August 16, 2024
These new comments from Marvel and DeMayo further fuel speculation about the reasons for his sudden firing.
Notable insider Jeff Sneider spoke briefly about the matter on The Hot Mic podcast, saying, “I think he was probably difficult to work with and getting on everyone’s last nerve, and I don’t think the OnlyFans stuff helped.”
Sneider reported that DeMayo was “an absolute nightmare to deal with on a daily basis” and also claimed Disney executives didn’t approve of his OnlyFans account.
We’ll be sure to keep this article updated as new developments are revealed.
If you want to know more about X-Men ’97, be sure to check out our X-Men ’97 Easter eggs guide or read up on the comics that inspired X-Men ’97.