Marvel Studios has issued an official statement saying that “X-Men ’97” creator and head writer Beau DeMayo was fired from the series in March 2024 for “egregious” misconduct. The studio released the statement shortly after DeMayo posted on several social media accounts, claiming that he was stripped of 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.”
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A source with knowledge of the investigation said evidence was discovered of 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 an image of himself, shirtless and styled like the mutant superhero 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.”
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“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.”
Later Thursday night, DeMayo posted a response to Marvel’s statement on social media, linking to this article: “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.”
DeMayo was fired in March 2024, ahead of the series premiere on Disney+. 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”; additionally, 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 streaming programming, which praised the animated series for its bold storytelling and complex characterizations. Prior to the premiere, executive producer and Marvel Animation chief Brad Winderbaum told Variety that DeMayo “did excellent work writing Seasons 1 and 2, and I can’t wait for fans to see the series.”
The show was nominated by the Primetime Creative Emmy Awards 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.”
During the run of the first season, DeMayo regularly posted lengthy statements to X about specific episodes and plot lines. Prior to being fired, he also ran a non-explicit OnlyFans account under the username “Beaunlyfans.” Out magazine called DeMayo in 2022 “the sexy, gay Marvel writer and showrunner to know.”
Variety has reached out to DeMayo for further comment.
