The drama behind the scenes of Disney+’s X-Men ’97 is getting messier as creator Season 1 showrunner Beau DeMayo posted a statement that claimed he is being “stripped of his Season 2 credits” over a recent social media post– something that Marvel Studios denies.
Released Thursday night, DeMayo’s statement claimed that Marvel Studios is removing him from the credits of the upcoming second season of the show suggestive piece of fan art he posted on his Instagram.
The fan art depicts himself as a scantily-clad Cyclops. X Men ’97 ‘s first and second seasons were both showrun by DeMayo, though the second season has yet to premiere.
After DeMayo was fired from Marvel, Matthew Chauncey was tapped to replace him for Season 3. Before he was removed from X-Men ’97, at one point, DeMayo also worked on a version of the Blade live-action script.
“Firstly, I’m so grateful to have worked on X-Men ’97 , collaborating with some amazingly talented folks,” DeMayo’s statement reads. “Creating the 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 introduced the fan art on the next Instagram slide, adding that the fan art was made specifically for Pride Month.
“On June 13, Marvel sent a letter notifying me that they’d stripped my Season 2 credits due to the post,” he continued. “Sadly, this is the latest in a troubling pattern I suffered through while 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.”
Post by @beau_demayo View on Threads
However, Marvel has a different story.
“Mr. DeMayo was terminated in March 2024 following an internal investigation,” the studio said as its official word, according to Variety . “Given the egregious nature of the findings, we severed ties with him immediately and he has no further affiliation with Marvel.”
Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter ‘s report on the matter states, “Sources say that following his exit, an agreement was reached between the two parties over the issue of tweeting about the show, something that DeMayo had continued to occasionally do. In light of the breaches, his credit for season two was removed. While no details of the cause of the termination or the internal reviews have surfaced, sources say it involved sexual misconduct.”
DeMayo has since shot back at Marvel, writing rather cryptically on social media, “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.”
After his cryptic post, his lawyer also gave a statement to Deadline and seemed to hint at a lawsuit. DeMayo’s lawyer is Bryan Freedman, who previously sued Disney on behalf of former ESPN personality Sage Steele.
“Having much experience with Disney, the playbook is always the same. Family friendly on the outside, but secretly attempting to plant illegal unconscionable items in contracts that silence the truth and stop the employee/customer from asserting basic constitutional rights,” Freedman said in a statement to Deadline . “As we will explain through detailed examples which we will roll out in detail one by one, Disney’s model is very clear and a repetitive illegal pattern. Once it gets challenged or exposed, the gaslighting and redirection of the blame toward anyone willing to tell the truth starts through an international well oiled publicity machine. Beau DeMayo wants nothing from Marvel/Disney except the truth,” Freedman said. “He will bravely tell the truth. So will I. Stand by.”
DeMayo’s sudden firing from the critically-acclaimed series, plus him getting his stripped of his credits for Season 2, has been confusing to fans, with many wanting to know the real answers as to why the person responsible for such an amazing first season was let go. The new statements DeMayo and Marvel have provided have only added even more questions. If the truth will come out, hopefully fans will get the real deal soon.
Most Popular
Comments / 0