Beau DeMayo Breaks His Silence on the Marvel Firing That Shadowed ‘X-Men ’97’ Season 2

More than two years after his abrupt departure from Marvel Studios, Beau DeMayo is finally speaking at length about what happened behind the scenes of ‘X-Men ’97.’ The creator and original showrunner sat for a series of interviews with Vanity Fair before eventually going quiet on the outlet in 2025, and the resulting feature offers the fullest account yet of his firing, his allegations against the studio, and the ongoing legal fight that followed.

DeMayo spent three years building ‘X-Men ’97’ from 2021 to 2024, reviving the beloved 1990s animated series with characters like Wolverine, Storm, Jean Grey, Magneto, and Professor X. The show became one of Disney+’s biggest animated successes, and its first season earned a 99 percent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Firing That Blindsided a Rising Marvel Writer

Just sixteen days after ‘X-Men ’97’ premiered on March 20, 2024, Disney terminated DeMayo, citing an internal investigation into what the company later called egregious findings. At the time, DeMayo had already completed his writing duties on Season 2 and was preparing for press and premiere events tied to the show.

According to Marvel, the decision to sever ties was immediate once the investigation concluded, with a spokesperson stating that DeMayo had no further affiliation with the studio following his termination. Sources briefed on the matter later told reporters the investigation centered on allegations of sexual misconduct, claims that DeMayo has consistently and firmly denied.

DeMayo told Vanity Fair that the experience left him shaken, recalling a phone call from Disney’s HR department informing him a coworker had accused him of misconduct before he even knew he was under investigation. He described the moment as traumatic, saying he believed he was in a safe working environment until that call changed everything.

The abruptness of his exit was especially jarring given his standing on the project. DeMayo was the architect of the acclaimed Season 1 finale, and Marvel had already lined up a Season 2 renewal before the first episodes even aired.

Allegations of Discrimination on the Set of ‘X-Men ’97’

DeMayo has repeatedly framed his treatment at Marvel through the lens of his identity as a queer Black man, telling Vanity Fair he often felt like a token hire rather than a respected showrunner. He recalled colleagues making comments suggesting he did not look the part of a leader on the project.

He described a specific feeling that colleagues viewed his hiring as a diversity checkbox rather than a merit based decision, saying there was a vibe that he had been brought on largely because the project needed a gay Black voice attached to ‘X-Men.’

Those claims extended beyond ‘X-Men ’97’ itself. DeMayo said he was also brought in to help rework Marvel’s long delayed ‘Blade’ script starring Mahershala Ali, and that the discriminatory treatment he described experiencing on ‘X-Men ’97’ became more explicit during that stretch of work.

Marvel has not issued a detailed public response to the discrimination claims specifically, though the studio has maintained that DeMayo’s termination stemmed from the findings of its internal investigation rather than any other factor.

The Pride Post That Reignited the Marvel Dispute

Months after his firing, DeMayo publicly claimed that Marvel had stripped him of his Season 2 writing credits after he shared fan art depicting himself as a shirtless version of Cyclops for Pride Month in June 2024. He described the move as part of a troubling pattern he says he endured throughout his time on ‘X-Men ’97’ and ‘Blade.’

Marvel disputed the framing, with sources indicating the credit issue stemmed from DeMayo violating the terms of his separation agreement rather than the Pride post itself. Despite the public back and forth, DeMayo ultimately retained his creator, executive producer, and writer credits on Season 2, which the Vanity Fair feature confirmed contrary to earlier reporting.

DeMayo also alleged that the separation agreement he signed included a non disparagement clause he felt pressured into accepting, a claim central to the lawsuit he later filed against Marvel.

Where the Legal Fight and DeMayo’s Career Stand Now

In September 2024, DeMayo sued Marvel seeking relief from that non disparagement agreement, arguing it was designed to silence him. That case remains active and is currently scheduled to go to trial in July 2027, meaning the public may not get significant new details until then.

Since the controversy began, DeMayo’s online presence has shifted noticeably. His social media output, once dominated by ‘X-Men ’97’ commentary and disputes with Marvel, now leans more toward comics, fitness, and personal interests. Friends and former colleagues who spoke with Vanity Fair offered mixed assessments of his choices, with one calling him the most talented writer they know while questioning whether his increasingly explicit OnlyFans presence has complicated his path forward.

Matthew Chauncey took over as head writer following DeMayo’s exit, first for Season 2 revisions and later for Season 3, which has already been greenlit. ‘X-Men ’97’ Season 2 premiered on Disney+ on July 1, 2026, opening to a 100 percent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, a reception that underscores just how much the show has thrived even as the story of its creator remains unresolved.

Two years removed from the firing, DeMayo and Marvel still offer starkly different accounts of what happened, and with the lawsuit not headed to trial until 2027, that gap may persist for a while longer. What do you make of DeMayo’s account now that ‘X-Men ’97’ Season 2 has finally arrived without him.