“X-Men ’97’ Creator Beau DeMayo’s Lawyer Blasts Marvel and Disney
The battle between X-Men ’97 creator Beau DeMayo and Marvel Studios is heating up.
As a quick recap, Marvel fired DeMayo under auspicious circumstances just days before X-Men ’97 premiered in March. At the time, it looked as if the two sides would remain amicable.
© 2024 MARVEL.
Marvel’s head of streaming, Brad Winderbaum, subsequently praised DeMayo’s contributions to the series, while the former Marvel writer continued to promote X-Men ’97 following its debut and interact with fans on social media.
DeMayo Accused Marvel of Stripping His X-Men ’97 Season 2 Credits
Things changed last week, however, when DeMayo shared that Disney and Marvel had not invited him to the Creative Emmy Awards despite X-Men ’97’s nomination.
Photo: The Hollywood Reporter
Then, yesterday on X, DeMayo accused Marvel of stripping him of any credits for Season 2 of X-Men ’97 (even though he worked on the upcoming season before being fired) because of a Gay Pride post he made in June.
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… pic.twitter.com/kbOTL3IQJj
— Beau DeMayo (@BeauDemayo) August 16, 2024
“Above is #XMen fan-art I posted on Instagram for Gay Pride in June,” he continued. “On June 13, #Marvel sent a letter notifying me that they’d stripped my Season 2 credits due to the post. Sadly, this is the latest in a troubling pattern I suffered through while on working on #XMen97 and #Blade.”
Marvel Says DeMayo Was Fired For “Egregious” Misconduct
Marvel quickly responded, stating that DeMayo had been terminated after an internal investigation turned up “egregious” evidence of misconduct.
Photo courtesy of Marvel Animation. © 2024 MARVEL.
“Mr. DeMayo was terminated in March 2024 following an internal investigation,” the studio said. “Given the egregious nature of the findings, we severed ties with him immediately and he has no further affiliation with Marvel.”
Marvel Studios Logo. Photo: Marvel
Subsequently, The Hollywood Reporter reported that DeMayo had been fired for sexual misconduct and then later stripped of his X-Men ’97 Season 2 credits after breaching his separation agreement.
DeMayo’s Lawyer Issues Blistering Statement
Following this morning’s reports, Bryan Freedman, DeMayo’s attorney, issued a blistering statement to Deadline.
Photo: Bryan Feedman
In his response, Feedman called Disney’s tactics illegal and a violation of constitutional rights.
“Having much experience with Disney, the playbook is always the same. Family friendly on the outside, but secretly attempting to plant illegal unconscionable items in contracts that silence the truth and stop the employee/customer from asserting basic constitutional rights,” Freedman said.
Photo: Getty Images
“As we will explain through detailed examples which we will roll out in detail one by one, Disney’s model is very clear and a repetitive illegal pattern. Once it gets challenged or exposed, the gaslighting and redirection of the blame toward anyone willing to tell the truth starts through an international well oiled publicity machine.”
A Court Battle Could Be Looming
As for DeMayo, Freedman says his client wants nothing but the truth.
Photo: The Hollywood Reporter
“Beau DeMayo wants nothing from Marvel/Disney except the truth,” Freedman said. “He will bravely tell the truth. So will I. Stand by.”
(L-R): Morph (voiced by JP Karliak), Cyclops (voiced by Ray Chase) and Jean Grey (voiced by Jennifer Hale) in Marvel Animation’s X-MEN ’97. Photo courtesy of Marvel Animation. © 2024 MARVEL.
By the sound of things, the battle between DeMayo and Marvel could quickly turn from a war of words to a legal duel.
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