X-Men ’97: The Conflict Between Marvel Studios And Beau DeMayo, Explained

X-Men '97: The Conflict Between Marvel Studios And Beau DeMayo, Explained

Key Takeaways

  • Former X-Men ’97 showrunner Beau DeMayo has been fired by Disney for suspected inappropriate behavior with staff.
  • DeMayo initially hinted at the truth behind his firing on social media, alleging he was removed over a gay pride post in June.
  • Recent rumors suggest DeMayo’s dismissal stemmed from sexual misconduct allegations, including sending suggestive photos to staff.

As a devoted fan of X-Men ’97 and all things Marvel, I’ve been following the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding the show with bated breath. The recent revelations about Beau DeMayo’s firing have left me both shocked and saddened.


Marvel Studio’s X-Men ’97 has garnered significant praise since its launch, but it’s been embroiled in backstage controversy ever since the final episode aired. This year, it emerged that showrunner Beau DeMayo had been let go from his role, even though he had finished work on the second season of the popular show. Initially, the reasons behind his dismissal were unclear, but more recently, allegations have come to light about DeMayo’s inappropriate behavior towards staff members.

It seems that the individual who used to oversee the “X-Men ’97” show back in the day, who’s quite active on social media, has hired a lawyer and appears to be taking legal action against Disney due to his dismissal. Let’s delve into the events surrounding DeMayo and Disney/Marvel.

Beau DeMayo’s History With Marvel

X-Men '97: The Conflict Between Marvel Studios And Beau DeMayo, Explained

In a recent development, DeMayo, who is relatively fresh in Hollywood, initially collaborated with Marvel Studios on an episode of their Disney+ series, Moon Knight. The writer penned the third episode of Moon Knight‘s inaugural season, entitled “The Friendly Type.” His contribution to this episode appeared satisfactory for Marvel Studios, leading them to subsequently hire DeMayo as a writer and showrunner for their X-Men ’97 series, a follow-up to the popular ’90s animated series. Over the course of his tenure on X-Men ’97, DeMayo wrote four episodes, including the pilot episode, “To Me, My X-Men.” He also oversaw the series as showrunner and executive producer, managing the writers room for both Seasons 1 and 2. However, there have been reports of inappropriate behavior from DeMayo on X-Men ’97, though it’s unknown when Marvel Studios became aware of these issues. Initially, they enlisted DeMayo to work on the problematic screenplay for the Blade reboot. At some juncture, he submitted his version of the Blade script, but it seems Marvel Studios opted to engage another writer in an attempt to prepare the screenplay for filming.

It wasn’t until halfway through the first season of X-Men ’97 that it became public knowledge that Marvel Studios and DeMayo had split ways. At the time, neither Marvel nor the showrunner made any official comments on the matter, but DeMayo continued to discuss the series on Twitter as it aired its final episodes. He even engaged with fans who were eagerly anticipating the show. However, in recent times, DeMayo has used social media to speak about his dismissal and seems to imply that he will reveal the truth about the situation. Disney has since explained that DeMayo was fired due to inappropriate behavior, and many people had reported issues with the showrunner to Human Resources. Since then, DeMayo has issued further statements through his legal representative, hinting at more revelations about the “truth.”

The Allegations Being Made Against DeMayo

Previously this month, DeMayo publicly announced on social media that his credit for Season 2 of X-Men ’97 had been withdrawn due to a post he shared in support of LGBTQ+ pride in June. The showrunner explained, “Marvel sent me a letter stating they had removed my Season 2 credits due to the post.” Marvel swiftly responded, disclosing that they severed ties with DeMayo in March of this year, and that the post was unrelated to their decision. Instead, it was his inappropriate conduct, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter, that led to the termination following an internal investigation. It seems that DeMayo violated an agreement by persistently tweeting about the series, which resulted in him losing his credit for Season 2 of X-Men ’97. DeMayo and his lawyer contested this decision. However, by the time his lawyer issued a statement, stories emerged suggesting that the showrunner was dismissed over allegations of sexual misconduct. While Disney hasn’t officially confirmed these accusations against DeMayo, some industry insiders have shared what they’ve been informed.

Preliminary information indicated DeMayo was challenging to collaborate with. But, more recent gossip from The InSneider claims that DeMayo sent inappropriate nude photos to some of the male staff members on the show, posing as a superhero. He’s also accused of sexually harassing an assistant and being abusive, both physically and emotionally, though these accusations have yet to be verified. It’s worth mentioning that DeMayo was previously let go from another project – Netflix’s The Witcher – and the reasons behind his dismissal are still unclear. At this point, DeMayo has retained a lawyer and appears determined to reveal the truth about Disney and clear his name entirely.

X-Men ’97 is currently streaming exclusively on Disney+.

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2024-08-26 00:33