The tension between Marvel and former X-Men ’97 showrunner Beau DeMayo has escalated this week with Marvel stripping DeMayo of any credit for Season 2 and going forward. The animated series, a revival of the 1990s X-Men series, was recently nominated for an Emmy, with DeMayo removed from the show just weeks before the series premiere on Disney+.
It was never confirmed by either party why DeMayo was removed from the show ahead of Season 1. Now, he has publicly addressed having his name removed from Season 2 of the show, though those scripts which were written before his dismissal. DeMayo would send the first shots, hinting at being discriminated against.
“Firstly, I’m so grateful to have worked on X-Men’ 97, collaborating with some amazingly talented folks,” DeMayo wrote on social media. “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…”
He then posted a piece of fan art of him dressed scantily as Cyclops. The art had previously been posted on his Instagram on June 4 to celebrate Pride Month.
“Above is X-Men 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 on working on X-Men ’97 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.”
Marvel was quick to fire back a statement to several outlets in response. “Mr. DeMayo was terminated in March 2024 following an internal investigation,” said Marvel Studios. “Given the egregious nature of the findings, we severed ties with him immediately and he has no further affiliation with Marvel.”
While that official statement doesn’t address the removal of DeMayo’s Season 2 credits, sources close to the story tell THR said DeMayo was initially fired due to sexual misconduct. Upon his initial exit, an agreement was reached between the two parties over the issue of DeMayo tweeting about the show, something that he had continued to occasionally do which would garner more fan support. DeMayo shut down the insinuation of contract breaches being the reason.
“The truth will be revealed. After their Disney Plus disaster, Marvel wants to mislead with alleged contract breaches over tweets,” DeMayo added. “It’s tragic it’s come to this but unsurprising. Stay tuned.”
DeMayo had been working at Marvel for a few years, contributing to the Moon Knight Disney+ series and working on a Blade script treatment for the movie. He’s also worked on Netflix’s The Witcher series.
