Marvel Denies ‘X-Men 97’ Creator Beau DeMayo’s Claim He Was Fired For Sharing A Gay Pride Social Media Post

The highly anticipated premiere of Marvel‘s X-Men: The Animated Series reboot was mired in controversy after series creator Beau DeMayo was mysteriously fired from the show in March. Now, DeMayo claims Marvel notified him that he will no longer be credited on X-Men ’97 Season 2 after he shared a Gay Pride post on social media — but the company has a different story.

“Firstly, I’m so grateful to have worked on #XMen97, collaborating with some amazingly talented folks. 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…,” he wrote in a post on X. He included a screenshot of a post he made on his Instagram account that showed an illustration of a shirtless version of himself dressed up as the X-Men character Cyclops.

In a follow-up post, he wrote, “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.” He said it was “the latest in a troubling pattern I suffered through while on working on #XMen97 and #Blade.”

Marvel refuted DeMayo’s claim in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, noting that his firing came after they conducted an internal investigation into his behavior.

“Mr. DeMayo was terminated in March 2024 following an internal investigation,” a Marvel spokesperson said in a statement. “Given the egregious nature of the findings, we severed ties with him immediately, and he has no further affiliation with Marvel.”

This is their Disney-Marvel’s usual playbook. Legal letters as well as other items to prove their long-standing pattern to follow . It’s about finding a safe outlet. Thanks for your faith and patience. https://t.co/LebsUprzwD

— Beau DeMayo (@BeauDemayo) August 16, 2024

The outlet also reports that a source claims DeMayo reached an agreement with Marvel over “tweeting about the show.” His credits for Season 2 were removed after he breached that agreement.

The source also noted that the internal investigation was regarding “sexual misconduct.” Variety also reports that “evidence was discovered of sexual misconduct” and DeMayo was stripped of his Season 2 credits for violating his termination agreement.

DeMayo fired back with another statement on social media, writing, “This is their Disney-Marvel’s usual playbook. Legal letters as well as other items to prove their long-standing pattern to follow . It’s about finding a safe outlet. Thanks for your faith and patience.”

In another post, he wrote, “The truth will be revealed. After their Disney Plus disaster, Marvel wants to mislead with alleged contract breaches over tweets. It’s tragic it’s come to this but unsurprising. Stay tuned.”

X-Men ’97 premiered to positive reception in May and even earned an Emmy nomination, though DeMayo claims he did not get invited to the Emmy Awards ceremony. The show has also been renewed for two more seasons.

X-Men ’97 is streaming now on Disney+.