X-Men ’97: Why Was Head Writer Beau DeMayo Fired?

Marvel Studios stunned fans when it severed ties with X-Men ’97 creator and head writer Beau DeMayo in March 2024. So, why was Beau DeMayo fired from X-Men ’97?

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Why X-Men ’97 Head Writer Beau DeMayo Was Fired, Explained

As noted above, Beau DeMayo’s March 2024 dismissal from X-Men ’97 caught the industry by surprise. At the time, DeMayo had already finalized the scripts for Season 2 and was starting to map out Season 3. What’s more, DeMayo’s departure was announced the day before X-Men ’97‘s premiere screening. Neither Marvel Studios nor DeMayo commented on his exit at the time, leaving everyone to guess what went down between them. But gradually, a narrative emerged that Marvel axed DeMayo over his conduct both within and outside the company.

Notably, scooper Jeff Sneider reported on the Hot Mic podcast that Marvel cut DeMayo loose because he was “difficult to work with and gettin’ on everyone’s last nerve.” Sneider also indicated that DeMayo’s OnlyFans account – while it contains no explicit content – influenced Marvel’s decision to fire him too. Co-host John Rocha backed up Sneider, noting that his own sources mentioned similar behind-the-scenes drama.

Now, DeMayo and Marvel have both offered their versions of the events leading up to the former’s firing. According to DeMayo, Marvel booted him from X-Men ’97 over a racy Cyclops illustration he shared on Instagram. “Above is #XMen fan-art I posted on Instagram for Gay Pride in June,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter). “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.”

That’s not how Marvel claims things went down, though. Their take is that DeMayo was shown the door after the studio’s HR team looked into his behavior. “Mr. DeMayo was terminated in March 2024 following an internal investigation,” a studio spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter. “Given the egregious nature of the findings, we severed ties with him immediately, and he has no further affiliation with Marvel.” THR also cites sources who allege that DeMayo lost his X-Men ’97 Season 2 credit because his post-exit X posts breached an agreement he made with Marvel.

What Else Has Marvel Studios Said About DeMayo’s Firing?

So, that’s where things currently stand – but does this track with Marvel’s previous position on DeMayo’s firing? Nope. When X-Men ’97 executive producer Brad Winderbaum touched on the subject in a March 2024 Entertainment Weekly interview, he framed it in a far more positive light. “I can’t talk about the details,” Winderbaum said. “But I can say that Beau had real respect and passion for these characters and wrote what I think are excellent scripts that really the rest of the team were able to draw inspiration from [to] build this amazing show that’s on screen.”

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Pressed on the subject further, Winderbaum doubled-down. He even rejected the idea that Marvel Studios fired DeMayo! “I don’t [categorize DeMayo’s exit as a firing],” he said. “‘We parted ways’ is the best way I could say.” Winderbaum also confirmed that Marvel Studios is currently searching for DeMayo’s replacement to oversee X-Men ’97 Season 3 as it ramps up production.

X-Men ’97 Season 1 is currently streaming on Disney+.

The above article was updated on 8/19/2024 by the original author to include additional information about the split between Marvel and Beau DeMayo.