'X-Men ‘97' Creator Beau DeMayo Fired By Marvel Studios Two Weeks Before Premiere

Something’s brewing. DeMayo’s work has completed on both ordered seasons but he won’t be promoting either going forward

A major shakeup at Marvel Studios occurred on Tuesday, a story sure to mutate rapidly as more is revealed in the coming period. It was reported that writer-producer Beau DeMayo, creator of X-Men: The Animated Series continuation X-Men ‘97 was fired last week, just two weeks before its two-episode premiere on Wednesday, March 20 on Disney+.

The timeline aligns with DeMayo’s sudden shuttering of his Instagram account, apparently no longer allowed to promote the show, as it had been a useful source for updates. It is confirmed he had completed writing duties on season two, and at the time of his firing, he was already brainstorming a potential third season with fellow staff. He was readying press, and planning to attend the show’s Hollywood premiere on Wednesday. Instead, early last week, Marvel and DeMayo abruptly parted ways. His company email was deactivated and cast and crew got the news. A reason for the firing has yet to be disclosed, as Marvel had no comment, DeMayo’s representatives did not return calls for comment and emails to the showrunner have yet to get a response. The Instagram deactivation has set off alarm bells in the fandom.

Marvel announced DeMayo’s hiring in November 2021, with him having already had a working relationship, on their Moon Knight miniseries as well as early drafts of the Blade reboot. Writers leaving is normal for any studio, but it is alarming for such a high-positioned creative to miss the premiere or pull promotion plans last minute, even if sidelined. Even writers whose work was minimized by rewrites still get to walk Marvel premieres’ red carpets. It is being believed that abusive tendencies resurfaced based on allegations of a co-worker from his days on The Witcher.

It is unclear if this meant he’s also been edited out of any pre-recorded promotional material like the “A New Age” video released Wednesday, which can be watched below. The ten-episode first season of X-Men ‘97 premieres with two episodes March 20, and concludes on May 15. The second season will likely premiere in 2025.

Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Twitter