The creator of “X-Men 97” was fired because … Disagreements between Disney and Beau DeMayo’s accounts with LGBTQ fan art in focus | Web series

Days before the premiere of X-Men ’97 earlier this year, the animated series was shrouded in a “woke” controversy, with a certain segment of the fanbase angry that certain characters from the classic hit were taking the LGBTQ path. While those angry claims were still pending, another earth-shattering announcement took precedence: revealing that the show’s creator and head writer Beau DeMayo was fired.

Months later, DeMayo finally broke his silence on social media and shed light on the possible reason why Disney also stripped him of his Season 2 credits.

On Thursday night, the show’s original creator, who is no longer associated with the series, claimed that his writing credits for Season 2 of X-Men ’97 were removed because of a fan art post about LGBTQ Pride Month on social media. Shortly afterward, however, Marvel Studios issued an official statement saying that DeMayo was fired in March for “egregious” misconduct.

Why was the original showrunner of X-Men 97 fired: Disney’s version

“Mr. DeMayo was terminated in March 2024 following an internal investigation,” Marvel’s statement said. “Given the egregious nature of the findings, we immediately severed ties with him and he has no further affiliation with Marvel.”

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Variety also reported that a source familiar with the ongoing investigation said DeMayo had repeatedly violated his severance agreement and the evidence found against him pointed to sexual misconduct.

Why was the creator of X-Men 97 fired: Beau DeMayo’s version

However, the original showrunner’s claims went in a different direction when he shared a fan artwork of himself shirtless, modeled after the popular mutant superhero Cyclops, on his social media platforms. “First of all, I am so grateful to have worked on #XMen97 and collaborated with some incredibly talented people,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Creating this revival was a dream come true and the support fans have shown is so touching. However, I felt compelled to speak out following my exit from the show.”

“Above is #XMen fan art I posted on Instagram for Gay Pride in June,” he added, sharing a screenshot of a June 4 Instagram post with the caption, “Happy Pride! (rainbow emoji) Thanks @natz.print for this. So cool!”

“On June 13, #Marvel sent me a letter informing me that they had pulled my Season 2 credits because of the post. Unfortunately, this is the latest example of a disturbing pattern I have experienced while working on #XMen97 and #Blade.”

Shortly after Marvel Studio’s statement caught his attention, he responded on social media. Referring to the Variety article, he wrote: “The truth will come out. After the Disney Plus disaster, Marvel is trying to mislead people with alleged breach of contract tweets. It’s tragic that it has come to this, but not surprising. Stay tuned.”

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Contextualizing Beau DeMayo’s exit from X-Men 97

As you can clearly see, there are inconsistencies in both Disney and DeMayo’s portrayal of the case. While executive producer and Marvel animation chief Brad Winderbaum was all on Team DeMayo ahead of X-Men 97’s debut on Disney Plus, telling Variety he “did an outstanding job writing Seasons 1 and 2 and I can’t wait for fans to see the series,” the conversation has completely spiraled out of control.

The first season of “X-Men 97” has already been nominated for several trophies at this year’s awards ceremonies, including the Gotham TV Awards, Astra TV Awards, TCA Awards and Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards. In addition, the series won awards for “Best Animated Series” and “Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series” at the Dorian TV Awards and the Black Reel TV Awards.

DeMayo added his side of the story, criticizing “Disney-Marvel’s usual script,” in reference to his time at Marvel. “Legal letters and other things that prove their long-standing pattern. It’s about finding a safe way out. Thank you for your trust and patience,” he continued.

Following up on his initial statement about the fan art, Beau also reiterated that he will have “more to say soon, but I need to take a step back from social media to find a safer place where I can be open, proud, and nerdy.” Regardless, DeMayo clearly had a lot more to say, as he asked his followers to “stay tuned” for more.

Some fans again expressed outrage at Marvel’s decision to fire him over the alleged allegations, as the X-Men saga has always been about inclusion and diversity.

In March, the reasons for DeMayo’s firing were not known to the public. Further precise details about the investigation into the series creator have not yet emerged. DeMayo has also remained mostly silent about his firing from the studio, in contrast to his occasional retaliation at X, as seen in his recent post about missing out on the Emmys.

Given the ongoing investigation, it seems far-fetched that DeMayo was fired for a mere LGBTQ post. Even during his time at Marvel, he was an avid social media user and continued to share other X-Men details and pictures of himself shirtless. Before his firing in March 2024, DeMayo also had a “non-explicit” OnlyFans account called “Beaunlyfans.”