Marvel Says ‘X-Men 97’ Creator Beau DeMayo Was Fired for ‘Egregious’ Misconduct

Marvel Studios has released an official statement saying that “X-Men ’97” creator and head writer Beau DeMayo has been fired from the series in March 2024 for “egregious” misconduct.

The studio released the statement shortly after DeMayo posted on multiple social media accounts claiming he had been stripped of writing credits for the show’s second season due to a gay pride message he shared on 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 immediately severed ties with him and he no longer has any affiliation with Marvel.”

On Thursday night, DeMayo posted what appears to be an image of himself, shirtless and dressed as the mutant superhero Cyclops. “First of all, I am so grateful to have worked on #XMen97, collaborating with such incredibly talented people,” he wrote. “Creating this revival was a dream come true and the support from the fans is so heartwarming. However, I felt it was urgent for me to speak out after leaving the show.”

“Above is some #XMen fan art I posted on Instagram for Pride in June,” he continued. “On June 13th, #Marvel sent me a letter informing me that they had removed my credit for Season 2 due to this post. Unfortunately, this is the latest in a series of issues I have faced while 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 come out. After the Disney Plus disaster, Marvel wants to mislead with alleged contract violations in tweets. It’s tragic that it has come to this, but not surprising. Stay tuned.”

DeMayo was fired in March 2024, before the series premiered on Disney+. He had completed work on seasons 1 and 2 of the animated show before his departure. DeMayo also wrote on the Marvel and Disney+ series “Moon Knight”; in addition, he was one of several writers who worked on the studio’s long-in-the-works feature film “Blade,” starring Mahershala Ali.

“X-Men ’97” debuted to some of the best reviews Marvel has received for its streaming programming, with the animated series praised for its bold storytelling and complex characterizations. Ahead of the premiere, executive producer and head of Marvel Animation Brad Winderbaum said: Variety that DeMayo “did a great job writing seasons 1 and 2, and I can’t wait for fans to see the series.”

The show was nominated for a Primetime Creative Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program; on August 12, DeMayo tweeted that the studio “has not reached out to me to arrange my Emmy appearance for the show I created.”

During the first season, DeMayo regularly posted lengthy statements to X about specific episodes and storylines. Before being fired, he also ran a non-explicit OnlyFans account under the username “Beaunlyfans.” Out magazine called DeMayo in 2022 “a sexy, gay Marvel and showrunner to know.”

Variety contacted DeMayo for further comment.