Update: August 15, 2024
Marvel Fires Back Over X-MEN ’97 Creator’s Claim He Was “Stripped” of Season 2 Credit, Cites “Egregious” Investigation Findings
Five months after
Marvel Studios fired X-Men ’97 creator Beau DeMayo for mysterious reasons, the writer claimed Thursday he no longer will get credit on the second season of the hit Disney+ show, which he completed work on before his exit. DeMayo made the claim on social media, saying it was part of a “troubling pattern” he endured while working for Marvel.
Marvel shot back soon after, and in a statement to
The Hollywood Reporter, gave insight into his firing, saying it occurred after an internal investigation revealed “egregious” findings.
“Above is
#XMen fan-art I posted on Instagram for Gay Pride in June. On June 13,
#Marvel sent a letter notifying me that they’d stripped my Season 2 credits due to the post,” DeMayo wrote on X Thursday, along with an illustration of a shirtless version of himself as the superhero Cyclops.
DeMayo, who spent several years at Marvel working on a draft of a long-gestating
Blade feature as well as on the TV show
Moon Knight, added: “Sadly, this is the latest in a troubling pattern I suffered through while on working on
#XMen97 and
#Blade.”
Marvel responded by saying that DeMayo’s behavior was the cause of his firing and for him losing his credits.
“Mr. DeMayo was terminated in March 2024 following an internal investigation,” said a Marvel spokesperson in a statement. “Given the egregious nature of the findings, we severed ties with him immediately, and he has no further affiliation with Marvel.”
Sources say that following his exit, an agreement was reached between the two parties over the issue of tweeting about the show, something that DeMayo had continued to occasionally do. In light of the breeches, his credit for season two was removed. While no details of the cause of the termination or the internal reviews have surfaced, sources say it involved sexual misconduct.
DeMayo was an avid social media user during his tenure at Marvel, sharing
X-Men tidbits as well as shirtless pics of himself, and even running a non-explicit OnlyFans account. This all led the LGBTQ publication
Out to declare him “
the Sexy, Gay Marvel Writer & Showrunner to Know.”
On the surface, the notion that Marvel would strip DeMayo of a credit due to a social media post would stretch credulity, as outside observers note the gay Pride illustration is similar to any number of posts he made while employed at Marvel. And fired Marvel executive Victoria Alonso retained credit on projects she previously worked on following her exit in 2023. But the reveal of an internal investigation points to deeper causes.
Beau DeMayo completed his duties on season two prior to his firing in March.
www.hollywoodreporter.com
