During the last D23, Marvel Animation did not really make any major announcements for season 2 of X-Men '97. And yet, the animated series has been the talk of the town for a few hours due to the firing of showrunner Beau DeMayo. Until now, no reason had been officially given, but today, we know more.
New elements on the dismissal of DeMayo
Indeed, we thought the case of Beau DeMayo, the showrunner of the animated series X-Men '97 had been concluded and that we would not hear about it again, but this is not the case. As a reminder, shortly before the broadcast of season 1 of the series, Marvel Entertainment had decided to sideline its showrunner during the promotion of the program. The surprise was total and neither party had given an explanation for this dismissal. But that's without counting the main person concerned who has just reopened the file of this affair using his Twitter account on August 15. Beau DeMayo revealed to his followers that Marvel had decided to no longer credit him on the episodes of season 2 because he had published a drawing in June on the occasion of the American Gay Pride celebration.
Firstly, I’m so grateful to have worked on #XMen97, collaborating with some amazingly talented folks. 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… pic.twitter.com/kbOTL3IQJj
August 16, 2024
In his message, the screenwriter shares the famous drawing and explains that “Marvel m “sent me a letter informing me that they had removed my Season 2 credits due to this post.” And add:
Unfortunately, this is the latest in a series of problems I've experienced while working on X-Men '97 and Blade.< /p>
Nothing is going well between Disney and DeMayo
While we wait for DeMayo to reveal more soon away from social networks, for its part, Marvel Entertainment sent a press release to The Hollywood Reporter in which the company gives its version of the facts:
Mr. DeMayo was terminated in March 2024 following an internal investigation. Given the egregious nature of the findings, we immediately severed ties with him, and he no longer has any affiliation with Marvel.
Beau DeMayo is rumored to have sent nude photos of himself to young men working on the animated series for “inspiration.” He also allegedly assaulted a female assistant and was physically and mentally abusive to other staff members.
This is unlikely to end there. because in the wake of Marvel's press release, the screenwriter has decided to sue Disney for illegal practices. He can count on the help of Bryan Freedman, a lawyer specializing in wrongful dismissal law. He specified that his client wanted nothing from Marvel and Disney except “the truth“.