Beau DeMayo’s Dismissal from Marvel Sparks Legal Battle Over X-Men ’97

Beau DeMayo, creator and showrunner of Marvel’s animated revival X-Men ’97, was terminated by Disney in March 2024. The dismissal occurred 16 days after the series debuted on Disney+ on March 20, 2024. Marvel’s internal investigation reportedly uncovered “egregious” evidence of sexual misconduct, leading the company to sever ties with DeMayo immediately. At the time, DeMayo had already completed scripts for the series’ second season.

Inside the ‘X-Men ’97’ Fallout – How Beau DeMayo’s Marvel Dream Turned Into a Nightmare

• 2021-2024: DeMayo develops *X-Men ’97*.

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• March 20, 2024: Series premieres on Disney+.

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• Mid-March 2024: DeMayo is terminated, 16 days post-premiere.

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• July 2024: Matthew Chauncey hired as head writer for season 3.

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• August 2024: Marvel releases termination statement citing “egregious” findings.

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• September 4, 2024: DeMayo posts video denying misconduct allegations.

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• September 2024: DeMayo files lawsuit challenging a non-disparagement clause.

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• July 2027: Trial of DeMayo’s lawsuit scheduled.

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The first season amassed 4 million views within five days and 3.5 million views for its finale, according to Disney. Rotten Tomatoes recorded a 99 % fresh rating. The X-Men franchise, spanning films, merchandise and games, has generated over $8 billion since 1963, and viewership of the original 1992 animated series reportedly doubled after the revival’s launch.

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Marvel’s August 2024 statement said the company terminated DeMayo after an internal investigation, adding that “given the egregious nature of the findings, we severed ties with him immediately and he has no further affiliation with Marvel.” DeMayo’s September 2024 video denied the allegations, calling the rumors “lies” and “offensive,” and described the firing as a “smear campaign” to conceal broader workplace issues.

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DeMayo said colleagues treated him as a “DEI hire,” recalling remarks like “you don’t look like a showrunner” and “you don’t look like a writer.” He called the studio “toxic” and “near-criminal,” alleging discriminatory conduct on the stalled *Blade* film and asserting his OnlyFans activity was cleared by Marvel when kept separate from the show.

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• “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.” — Marvel, statement

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• “These allegations of egregious misconduct are false,” — Beau DeMayo, video statement, Sept 4 2024

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• “The rumors being spread around me online are lies, and they are offensive.” — Beau DeMayo, video statement, Sept 4 2024

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Variety reported that the investigation uncovered sexual-misconduct allegations, but Marvel has not publicly detailed the findings. DeMayo maintains the claims are false and says his OnlyFans use was approved, yet no independent verification exists.

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*X-Men ’97* continued with season 2, crediting DeMayo, while Matthew Chauncey leads season 3. The pending lawsuit, set for trial in July 2027, may affect studio policies on non-disparagement clauses and internal investigations.

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