Marvel shockingly FIRES X-Men ’97 creator Beau DeMayo just days before the animated superhero series debuts on Disney Plus

Just over a week before the highly anticipated animated superhero series X-Men ’97 is set to debut, series creator Beau DeMayo was unceremoniously fired.

The 41-year-old writer previously wrote for Netflix’s The Witcher, Marvel’s Moon Knight and Paramount Plus’ Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and has also worked on early drafts of Marvel’s new Blade film.

He created the long-awaited X-Men ’97, which continues the story of the original X-Men: The Animated Series, which ran from 1992 to 1997.

However, Disney Plus had already renewed the series for a second season prior to its debut The Hollywood Reporter reveals that DeMayo was fired early last week.

The dismissal was reportedly rather sudden as DeMayo had just finished writing Season 2 and was preparing to attend the Hollywood premiere on March 13.

DeMayo was also said to be discussing ‘loose ideas’ for a potential third season with members of his team before Marvel suddenly parted ways with him.

The writer/executive producer’s company email was disabled when cast and crew members were informed by Marvel that he was no longer involved.

The studio did not give the cast and crew a reason for the firing, and DeMayo’s Instagram account — which featured many updates about the show — was deactivated.

Neither Marvel nor DeMayo have responded to requests for comment about the firing, which comes just ahead of the series’ March 20 debut on Disney Plus.

While writers parting ways on projects are typically common on any type of television show, the creator of a show being fired and canceling premieres and other press plans for the show is quite rare.

Many premieres for Marvel projects include writers whose work may not even be used in the finished product.

DeMayo was announced as the executive producer and head writer in November 2021.

He appeared on a San Diego Comic-Con panel for the show in July 2022, where a second season renewal was also announced.

DeMayo revealed during Marvel’s X-Men: 60 Uncanny Years Live Virtual Event in March 2023 that the show reflected his experience as a gay black man.

He revealed that he came in to pitch to Marvel president Kevin Feige and Marvel’s head of streaming, television and animation Brad Winderbaum, and they were receptive.

“(Kevin and Brad) couldn’t have been more supportive and also just encouraging to make sure we got it right,” he said.

‘I think one of my favorite parts was like they were really interested in what my experience as a black gay man was and how that was going to inform the story we were telling. And it was like for them, that’s how we’re going to make this authentic,’ he said.

DeMayo was also adopted by white parents in the South – with a Korean sister – and he has recounted in interviews how the X-Men’s struggle for acceptance mirrored his own.

The original series is credited with popularizing the X-Men characters, just years before the breakthrough success of the 2000 X-Men film.