X-Men ’97 showrunner Beau DeMayo was let go from his position in the series after prematurely completing season 2 of the show. DeMayo’s firing occurred just a week before the show’s first season premiered on Disney+. DeMayo has been actively promoting the series, which has been receiving positive reviews all over. However, he may not be reinstated like James Gunn, who was fired for controversial tweets before the filming began for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Fans believe that the mysterious circumstances surrounding DeMayo’s firing meant that he was into something so bad that neither Disney nor the showrunner cared to reveal it. DeMayo shared that he was more than the showrunner/writer of the show, claiming that he was the main creative lead of the series.
Unlike James Gunn’s Return to MCU After Firing, Beau DeMayo May Not Return To X-Men ’97
Beau DeMayo was the showrunner of Marvel’s X-Men ’97, which brought back the mutant characters from the ’90s show, X-Men: The Animated Show. A week before the series premiered on Disney+, DeMayo was fired from the series by Marvel, a decision that shocked fans as well as the cast & crew of the show (via THR).
While neither party has commented on the reason for the firing, many speculated that DeMayo’s OnlyFans account was the reason behind the firing. Insider Jeff Sneider reported that the showrunner was let go from the series because he was “difficult to work with”. However, DeMayo continued to promote his successful show on X and fans have been calling for his reinstatement on social media.
However, some fans are skeptical about the idea of DeMayo returning to Marvel just like James Gunn did after his firing over controversial tweets. One fan commented that while they had no idea why DeMayo was fired, they believed it to be bad since the show was so good, and the fact that he was fired a week before the premiere of this great show.
Another fan also agreed that DeMayo must have done something really bad, but remarked that the creator’s ego will only get bigger due to the success of the show. One fan argued that Disney would not fire him over the OnlyFans account and pointed out that there were other MCU actors with the OF account. Another fan doubted whether both parties were keeping it quiet for legal reasons. Some fan reactions read:
We, and I cannot overstate this enough, still have no idea why Beau DeMayo got fired and if X-Men 97 is this good and he still got fired the week of the premiere it was probably for something very bad https://t.co/onBnbCpGPb
— Zach (@zjfrank13) May 1, 2024
James Gunn made disney a billion dollars with guardians 1&2 and they fired him over some poor taste tweets from 10 years ago
— FanofSector2814⚪️⚫️ (@FanofSector2814) May 2, 2024
Yeah everyone is giving him his flowers but he must have done something huge or been the biggest asshole if he got fired. But his ego is probably getting big now.
— chris_kg (@ckgarcia07) May 1, 2024
Idk what he did but it couldn’t of been the OF cause the woman who played She-Hulk also had a OF (the woman who actually did the she-hulk stuff not the one that played both Jen & she-hulk)
And if it was something bad I’m almost certain Disney would’ve said it by now like with…
— The Princess Favorite Toy (@GUXSquallNoctis) May 2, 2024
The fact he’s non stop promoting the show on the feed and not suing, oh its so bad
— theboywizard (@theboywizard_) May 1, 2024
Wouldn´t Disney/Marvel be more open with the reason IF it was something bad to calm the fans down, who want him back?
OR it is that bad that they HAVE to be quiet about it for legal reasons… hmm…That´s a tough place to be in, ngl.
— 🌱Daniel👻 (@DWinterkirsche) May 2, 2024
While DeMayo has completed works on the sequel as a showrunner, Marvel is currently looking for a showrunner for the third season. Producer Brad Winderbaum revealed to Entertainment Weekly that a third season was greenlit for the show that has been raking in views for Disney+.
James Gunn’s Firing and Reinstatement Was Different From Beau DeMayo’s Situation
Disney fired James Gunn in 2018 from his role as the director of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The firing came after Gunn’s controversial tweets from 2008 resurfaced, where he joked about sensitive topics including r*pe, p*dophelia, 9/11, and the Holocaust (via The Guardian). While they were questionable, it was a deliberate attack against the DC CEO, initiated by far-right political commentator, Mike Cernovich.
His firing was received with massive backlash from celebrities and journalists, who claimed that the controversy aimed to silence Gunn’s political viewpoints (via The Washington Post). While Gunn shared an apology, Disney went ahead with their decision. The cast of Guardians of the Galaxy released a joint statement announcing their support for the director (via Variety).
After severe backlash, Disney had to finally budge and rehire Gunn to direct the third installment of GOTG. Gunn left the studio after the project to take over the cinematic universe at DC and is unlikely to return to Marvel anytime soon.
Both X-Men ’97 and the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy are now available for streaming on Disney+.
