Summary
Marvel Studios’X-Men ‘97has received plenty of critical acclaim since it debuted. However, the series has been the subject of behind-the-scenes drama sincethe season finale. Earlier this year, it was revealed that showrunner Beau DeMayo was fired from his position, although he had already completed his work on the second season of the hit series. At the time, details regarding his firing were not known, but in recent weeks, allegations have surfaced suggesting DeMayo was inappropriate with staff members.
The formerX-Men ‘97showrunner, who continues to be very active on social media, has secured a lawyer and appears to be going after Disney for his firing. So, what exactly transpired between DeMayo and Disney/Marvel?
Beau DeMayo’s History With Marvel
DeMayo, who is still relatively new to Hollywood, first teamed up with Marvel Studios to write an episode of the Disney+ series,Moon Knight. The writer penned the third episode ofMoon Knight’s first season, titled “The Friendly Type.” His work on the episode seemed to please Marvel Studios enough for them to ultimately bring DeMayo on board as a writer and showrunner for itsX-Men ‘97series,a sequel to the hit animated seriesfrom the ’90s. DeMayo would go on to write four episodes ofX-Men ‘97, including the pilot episode,“To Me, My X-Men.“He would also serve as the showrunner and executive producer on the series, heading the writers room for bothSeason 1 and Season 2, which has already been written. While his behavior onX-Men ‘97was said to be a problem, it’s unclear when it was first brought to Marvel Studios’ attention, as the studio brought DeMayo on to try and do another pass on theBladereboot’s troubled screenplay. At some point in time, DeMayo did deliver his take on theBladescreenplay, but Marvel Studios seems to have ultimately moved forward with yet another writer to try and get the screenplay ready for production.
It wasn’t until mid-way throughX-Men ‘97’s first season that news surfaced thatMarvel Studios had parted ways with DeMayo. At the time, both Marvel and the showrunner didn’t comment on the news, but DeMayo did continue to tweet about the series as it aired the final episodes of the season. He even continued to interact with fans as they expressed their excitement over the series. Recently, however, DeMayo took to social media to address his firing and seemingly hinted at exposing the truth, to which Disney simply explained his inappropriate behavior was the reasoning behind his firing and that many people had approached Human Resources regarding their issues with the showrunner. Since then, DeMayo has continued to release statements through his lawyer, suggesting there’s more to come regarding the “truth.”
The Allegations Being Made Against DeMayo
Earlier this month, DeMayo took to social media to state that his credit onSeason 2 ofX-Men ‘97had been removed due toa social media post he made for gay pridein June. The showrunner stated, “Marvel sent a letter notifying me that they’d stripped my Season 2 credits due to the post.” The post was a shirtless photo of DeMayo as the Marvel superhero Cyclops. Marvel wasted little time in responding, revealing that the studio parted ways with DeMayo in March of this year, and that the post had nothing to do with them parting ways. Rather, it was his egregious behavior, as noted byThe Hollywood Reporter, that led to the parting following an internal investigation. Apparently, the two parties were said to have reached an agreement, which DeMayo reportedly breached bycontinuing to tweet about the series. This is said to be what cost him his credit on Season 2 ofX-Men ‘97. DeMayo fought back with his lawyer. However, by the time his lawyer released a statement, reports of why DeMayo was fired began to surface with rumors suggesting the showrunner was let go over sexual misconduct. While Disney hasn’t outright confirmed the allegations being made against DeMayo, some industry reporters have come forward with what they’ve heard through their sources.
Initial reports suggested DeMayo was simplydifficult to work with. However, the latest rumors, courtesy ofThe InSneider, have alleged that DeMayo sent nude photos of himself in suggestive “superhero” poses to some of the male staffers on the series. DeMayo is also accused of having groped an assistant, as well as having been emotionally and physically abusive, although none of these claims have been confirmed. It is important to note that this isn’t the first project DeMayo was removed from. In fact, he was removed from working on Netflix’sThe Witcher, although details regarding his firing from that project remain unknown. As it stands, DeMayo has hired a lawyer and looks ready to “expose Disney” andensure the truth is toldonce and for all.
