Disney allegedly withheld the original showrunner of X-Men ’97’s Season 2 credits due to a post about homosexual pride. The studio’s response, however, makes a different claim.
Days before the cartoon series’ X-Men ’97 premiered earlier this year, it was engulfed in a “woke” controversy, with some fans furious that key characters from the beloved hit show were adopting LGBTQ lifestyles. Another shocking announcement—that the show’s creator and lead writer, Beau DeMayo, had been fired—took precedence over those angry charges.
After several months, DeMayo has now broken his social media quiet and revealed what may have been the cause of Disney removing his Season 2 credits as well.
The original creator of the program, who is no longer involved in the production, said on Thursday night that he was denied writing credit for X-Men ’97 Season 2 due to a social media post including LGBTQ Pride Month fan art. But not long after, an official announcement from Marvel Studios said that DeMayo had been fired in March due to “egregious” actions.
Why was the original X-Men 97 showrunner fired: Disney’s version
Marvel said in a statement that “Mr. DeMayo was terminated in March 2024 following an internal investigation.” “We immediately cut our ties with him due to the shocking nature of the findings, and he no longer has any affiliation with Marvel.”
Variety also stated that DeMayo had regularly broken his termination agreement, according to a person with knowledge of the current inquiry, and that the evidence against him suggested that he had engaged in sexual misconduct.
Why was the X-Men 97 creator fired: Beau DeMayo’s version
The original showrunner’s assertions, however, took a different turn when he posted a shirtless fan art of himself on social media that featured the well-known mutant character Cyclops. He posted on X, the previous Twitter platform, saying, “First of all, I’m so grateful to have worked on #XMen97, collaborating with some amazingly talented folks.” “It was a dream come true to create this revival, and the support from fans is truly heartwarming.” Nevertheless, after leaving the performance, I felt compelled to speak up.
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
He shared an image of an Instagram post from June 4 with the comment, “Happy Pride!,” and said, “Above is #XMen fan-art I posted on Instagram for Gay Pride in June.” I’m grateful to @natz.print for this (rainbow emoji). Very Nice!
“On June 13, I received a letter from Marvel informing me that my Season 2 credits had been removed because of the post. Regretfully, this is just the most recent episode in a disturbing trend I encountered while working on Blade and XMen97.
He quickly replied on social media after seeing Marvel Studio’s remark. He added, “The truth will be revealed,” and included a link to the Variety piece. Marvel seeks to deceive with claims of contract violations over tweets following their Disney Plus debacle. Though expected, it’s unfortunate that this has happened.
“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.” https://t.co/D4d5tXfPP0
— Beau DeMayo (@BeauDemayo) August 16, 2024
Contextualising Beau DeMayo’s exit from X-Men 97
Differences have emerged between Disney and DeMayo’s version of the matter, as is clearly apparent. Before X-Men ’97 debuted on Disney Plus, executive producer and Marvel Animation CEO Brad Winderbaum was all Team DeMayo, telling Variety that he “did excellent work writing Seasons 1 and 2, and I can’t wait for fans to see the series.” However, since then, the discussion has gone awry.
In addition to having received nominations for multiple awards this year, including the Gotham TV Awards, Astra TV Awards, TCA Awards, and Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, X-Men 97 Season 1 has also won two titles at the Dorian TV Awards: Best Animated Show and Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series, respectively.
Extending his perspective, DeMayo criticized “Disney-Marvel’s usual playbook” in relation to his tenure at Marvel. Legal letters together with other evidence to support their established practice. The key is to locate a secure outlet. I appreciate your patience and trust,” he said.
Beau said that he will “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” in response to his original remarks regarding the fan art. In any event, DeMayo has begged his fans to “Stay tuned” for more, indicating that he has a lot more to say.
Above is #XMen fan-art I posted on Instagram for Gay Pride in June. 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 #XMen97 and #Blade.
— Beau DeMayo (@BeauDemayo) August 16, 2024
Given that the X-Men series has always been about inclusivity and diversity, some fans were once again incensed by Marvel’s purportedly cash-strapped choice to terminate him over the claimed charges.
The public was unaware of DeMayo’s firing grounds in March. As of yet, no more specific information regarding the probe pertaining to the show’s author has surfaced. In contrast to his sporadic vengeance on X, as seen by his latest post regarding his inability to get a seat at the Emmys, DeMayo has also generally kept quiet about being fired by the studio.
Given that an inquiry is underway, it seems improbable that DeMayo was let off due to a single LGBTQ post. He was a frequent social media user and kept posting images of himself without a shirt and other X-Men facts even throughout his time at Marvel. DeMayo also had a “non-explicit” OnlyFans account named “Beaunlyfans” before she was dismissed in March 2024.
