A new row between Marvel and former X-Men 97 showrunner Beau DeMayo has erupted after the latter accused his former employers of removing his writing credits on the hit show's forthcoming second season.
Five months after DeMayo was axed by Marvel just days before X-Men 97's Disney Plus debut, the series' former head writer has ignited a bitter war of words with the comic giant amid claims his work on X-Men 97 season 2 will go uncredited.
Before he was let go by Marvel in early March, DeMayo is believed to have completed script work on the highly-rated Disney Plus animated series' next chapter, which is currently midway through its development. However, while it was initially expected that DeMayo would receive a writing credit for his work once season 2 is released, the Hollywood scribe has now suggested this won't be the case.
What is X-Men 97 creator Beau DeMayo accusing Marvel of?
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/kbOTL3IQJjAugust 16, 2024
In the early hours of this morning (August 16), DeMayo – who regularly uses social media to engage with his followers – took to X/Twitter to accuse Marvel of removing his season 2 writing credits due to a piece of X-Men fan art (see above) he posted on Instagram in June. DeMayo claimed this was the latest in a long line of "troubling" issues he was plagued by while working at Marvel Studios, for whom he also performed some script treatment for on its forthcoming Blade movie reboot.
"Firstly, I’m so grateful to have worked on X-Men 97, collaborating with some amazingly talented folks," the accompanying tweet reads. "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. Above is X-Men 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 X-Men 97 and Blade. 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."
What was Marvel's response to DeMayo's allegations? And why was he fired?
Not usually one to air its dirty laundry in public, Marvel hit back at DeMayo's accusations in what can be described as a terse response from the ordinarily reserved studio. In a statement issued to The Hollywood Reporter, a Marvel spokesperson said: "Mr. DeMayo was terminated in March 2024 following an internal investigation. Given the egregious nature of the findings, we severed ties with him immediately, and he has no further affiliation with Marvel."
So, what did DeMayo do to be removed as one of the best Disney Plus shows' chief writer? Marvel has never officially revealed why DeMayo, who's also worked on Netflix's live-action adaptation of The Witcher and Marvel's Moon Knight TV show. However, a source with knowledge of Marvel's internal investigation told Variety that his contract was terminated after evidence of sexual misconduct came to light. That, coupled with DeMayo reportedly breaching the terms of his contract termination agreement by continually posting about X-Men 97 on social media, resulted in Marvel removing his credits on season 2.
Is this the end of the Marvel-Beau DeMayo spat?
“The truth will be revealed. After their Disney Plus disaster, Marvel wants to mislead with alleged contract breaches over tweets. It’s tragic it’s come to this but unsurprising. Stay tuned.” https://t.co/D4d5tXfPP0August 16, 2024
Absolutely not. Responding to Variety's report a few hours later on X/Twitter (see above), DeMayo enigmatically clapped back at Marvel and the publication's article, before suggesting that the feud between himself and the comic giant is far from over.
"The truth will be revealed," he tweeted. "After their Disney Plus disaster, Marvel wants to mislead with alleged contract breaches over tweets. It’s tragic it’s come to this but unsurprising. Stay tuned."
Just 13 minutes after that post, DeMayo returned to the platform (see the tweet below) to hit out at Marvel and its parent company Disney again, writing: "This is their Disney-Marvel’s usual playbook. Legal letters as well as other items to prove their long-standing pattern to follow . It’s about finding a safe outlet. Thanks for your faith and patience."
This is their Disney-Marvel’s usual playbook. Legal letters as well as other items to prove their long-standing pattern to follow . It’s about finding a safe outlet. Thanks for your faith and patience. https://t.co/LebsUprzwDAugust 16, 2024
Opinion: A bizarre twist in the tale
I'd expect DeMayo to defend himself in a situation like this, but I find it very odd that Marvel would remove his season 2 writing credits over a single piece of fan art celebrating Pride Month. Indeed, the studio behind the money-spinning Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) had a huge – not to mention incredibly rare – public falling out with former executive producer Victoria Alonso in March 2023. However, Alonso still retained producing credits on Marvel Phase 5 projects, including Secret Invasion and The Marvels, which was released last November, after she was sacked.
Why, then, would Marvel take a different approach with DeMayo, especially if, as it's claimed, his season 2 writing credits have been removed for a simple Instagram post? As DeMayo indicates, the truth is likely to come out at some point, but it's unclear whether it'll come from a verifiable source, via the courts, or some another way.
Regardless, this is yet another blot on X-Men 97's copy book that it doesn't deserve. The spiritual successor the classic 90s cartoon X-Men: The Animated Series is, in many people's views, the best thing that Marvel has put since 2019's Avengers: Endgame. Indeed, in my review of X-Men 97 season 1, I said it was a "crowd-pleasing, wistful throwback to a time where watching Saturday morning cartoons was as stressful as life ever got". And yet, as this bitter war of words threatens to intensify in the days, weeks, and months to come, its continuing development and future seasonal releases will be marred by this escalating feud.
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