X-Men ’97 was a big hit with fans and critics alike, so it was something of a surprise when the showrunner was let go. Seasons 1 and 2 were already in the bag, but he was stepping down for season 3. He was still credited for season 2.
This credit remained for the months since writer and show creator Beau DeMayo was let go. Then, suddenly, his credits were stripped from he second season. Why?
DeMayo, a famously out and proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, said that he posted a piece of fan-art of himself as a shirtless Cyclops on Instagram to mark Gay Pride Month back in June.
Shortly after, he claimed, Marvel sent a letter notifying him that they had stripped him of his credits due to the posting, saying:
“Sadly, this is the latest in a troubling pattern I suffered through while on working on #XMen97 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. Stay tuned.”
This made it appear as if, for some reason, Marvel was down on him due to his queerness. Not so, now Marvel has responded. They have issued a statement to both The Hollywood Reporter and Variety that says DeMayo was fired after an internal investigation:
“Mr. DeMayo was terminated in March 2024 following an internal investigation. Given the egregious nature of the findings, we severed ties with him immediately and he has no further affiliation with Marvel.”
No specifics of the findings have been confirmed, but sources in the industry have alleged sexual misconduct. The reason for the sudden stripping of X-Men ’97 season 2 credits is said to be due to repeated and ongoing violations of his termination agreement.
This one could run for a while.