‘X-Men 97’ Creator Fired for ‘Egregious’ Misconduct

Marvel Studios has broken its silence over the reason why “X-Men ’97” creator and head writer Beau DeMayo was fired in March 2024, after DeMayo posted on X/Twitter on Thursday that he was stripped of his writing credits for the show’s second season because of a gay pride post he shared to social media.

“Mr. DeMayo was terminated in March 2024 following an internal investigation,” the studio said in a statement. “Given the egregious nature of the findings, we severed ties with him immediately and he has no further affiliation with Marvel.”

A source with knowledge of the investigation said it was for sexual misconduct, and that DeMayo repeatedly violated his termination agreement, which led to the removal of his credits for Season 2.

On Thursday night, DeMayo posted what appears to be a image of himself, shirtless and styled like Cyclops. “Firstly, I’m so grateful to have worked on #XMen97, collaborating with some amazingly talented folks,” he wrote. “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 on working on #XMen97 and #Blade.”

DeMayo concluded, “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.”

DeMayo was fired in March 2024, ahead of the series premiere. He had completed work on Seasons 1 and 2 of the animated program ahead of his exit. DeMayo also wrote on the fellow Marvel and Disney+ series “Moon Knight,” and he was one of several screenwriters who have worked on the studio’s long-in-the-works feature film “Blade,” starring Mahershala Ali.

“X-Men ’97” debuted with some of the best reviews Marvel has received for its programming for Disney+, which praised the animated series for its bold, risky storytelling and complex characterizations. The show was nominated by the Emmys for best animated program; on Aug. 12, DeMayo tweeted that the studio “has not reached out to arrange my attendance to the Emmy’s for the show I created.”

More to come.