X-Men ‘97 creator Beau DeMayo claims that Marvel removed his credits from the second season of the show after posting a photo of gay fan art. On August 15, DeMayo wrote on X, “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 #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.†The post was an illustration of a shirtless and ripped DeMayo as Cyclops that said, “To me, my X-men!â€
Several hours later, the studio responded with claims of their own, specifically involving DeMayo’s behavior. “Mr. DeMayo was terminated in March 2024 following an internal investigation,†said a Marvel spokesperson in a statement to THR. “Given the egregious nature of the findings, we severed ties with him immediately and he has no further affiliation with Marvel.â€
He was reportedly fired before the premiere of the first season, after he had already worked on the show’s second season. A specific reason for his initial removal was never given at the time, but Marvel Studios executive Brad Winderbaum told Entertainment Weekly that DeMayo wasn’t fired, but they had just “parted ways.†He explains, “I can’t talk about the details, but I can say that Beau had real respect and passion for these characters and wrote what I think are excellent scripts that really the rest of the team were able to draw inspiration from [to] build this amazing show that’s on screen.â€
The artist Jneyde also responded to DeMayo’s message on Instagram Stories, expressing support to the creator: “I was the artist responsible for creating the fanart for Beau in honor of his work for X-Men and Pride Month. I’m disappointed in Marvel who claims to be inclusive would do this. Myself and millions of fans will always stand behind you.â€
This post has been updated.