According to TVLine, after months of being fired by Marvel Studios, X-Men ’97 creator Beau DeMayo (The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf) took to X to reveal the reason he claims he was fired. DeMayo claims his termination and having his credits removed from the second season of the animated series was because he posted an X-Men-themed fan art in honor of Gay Pride Month.
As per TVLine, DeMayo served as the head writer on X-Men ’97 during the production of the first two seasons but parted ways with the series and Marvel a few days before the first season premiered on Disney+. DeMayo’s work email was deactivated, and the staff was informed that he was no longer involved with the series.
In the post, DeMayo said, “Firstly, I’m so grateful to have worked on #XMen97, collaborating with some amazingly talented folks. Creating this revival was a dream come true and the support fans have shown is so touching. However, I felt it pressing for me to speak up in the wake of leaving the show…”
He continued, “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. Sadly, this is the latest in a troubling pattern I suffered through while on working on #XMen97 and #Blade.”
DeMayo concluded, “I’ll have more to say soon but must take a step back from social media to find a safer space for me to be out, proud, and nerdy. Stay tuned.”
The full post is down below.
Firstly, I’m so grateful to have worked on #XMen97, collaborating with some amazingly talented folks. Creating this revival was a dream come true and the support fans have shown is so touching. However, I felt it pressing for me to speak up in the wake of leaving the show… pic.twitter.com/kbOTL3IQJj
— Beau DeMayo (@BeauDemayo) August 16, 2024