X-MEN '97 Season 1 Showrunner Beau DeMayo Sets The Record Straight On T'Challa Not Being Black Panther

The X-Men '97 finale delivered some huge Marvel cameos, but fans were disappointed and confused to see T'Chaka serving as Black Panther in place of T'Challa. Showrunner Beau DeMayo now addresses that...

By JoshWilding - Sep 22, 2024 06:09 AM EST

Filed Under: X-Men '97

The X-Men '97 finale featured some huge Marvel Universe cameos, including Black Panther. However, we'd later discover that T'Chaka was beneath the mask, not T'Challa.

The decision has perplexed viewers, particularly when T'Challa's father is typically portrayed as the former Black Panther who fought alongside Captain America in World War II (which, in this timeline, could admittedly still be the case). T'Challa being sidelined spawned many discussions online, with most convinced the decision must be related to Chadwick Boseman's death.

Of course, it also created some continuity issues because T'Challa was Black Panther in the short-lived Fantastic Four: The Animated Series...which is presumably part of the same universe as this revival).

X-Men '97 season 1 showrunner Beau DeMayo was asked about the change when the final aired and responded "NDA." Now, though, he's finally cleared things up.

"I don’t know why Marvel had certain directors trying to spin and lie about this but we produced [X-Men '97] Season 1 in early 2021," he said on X. "The loss of Boseman weighed heavily on the studio, as well as on me as a black man. Felt too soon to do [T'Challa]. Put humanity before continuity."

DeMayo later added, "As I said, at the time, it didn’t feel right. Just a matter of respect. If it were today, I think the choice would may be different. Either way, trying to spin it as something other than what it was makes no sense to me."

We've gone back through the archives and can't find any interviews where anyone involved with X-Men '97 contradicts what DeMayo is saying here. Either way, the writer - who was fired by Marvel Studios for alleged misconduct which he has denied - is taking responsibility for the change.

UPDATE: Beau has reached out to let us know that this is one of the interviews he was referring to.

Following Boseman's tragic passing, Marvel Studios chose not to recast his Black Panther in live-action. Instead, the hero died off-screen in the MCU, and 2022's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ended with the reveal that he has a son, also called T'Challa. The fact that T'Challa appears to also be off-limits in animation hasn't sat well with many fans.

You can read DeMayo's comments in full below.

I don’t know why Marvel had certain directors trying to spin and lie about this but we produced #xmen97 Season 1 in early 2021. The loss of Boseman weighed heavily on the studio, as well as on me as a black man. Felt too soon to do #T’Challa. Put humanity before continuity.
— Beau DeMayo (@BeauDemayo) September 21, 2024

As I said, at the time, it didn’t feel right. Just a matter of respect. If it were today, I think the choice would may be different. Either way, trying to spin it as something other than what it was makes no sense to me.
— Beau DeMayo (@BeauDemayo) September 21, 2024

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45 Comments

1 2

LeBronStan - 9/22/2024, 6:24 AM

So marvel really was trying to force out Tchalla in non comic book media 🤦🏿‍♂️

IAmAHoot - 9/22/2024, 7:43 AM

@LeBronStan - Did you read what he said?

FireandBlood - 9/22/2024, 7:44 AM

@IAmAHoot - He didn’t

The1st - 9/22/2024, 9:33 AM

@FireandBlood -

...actual woke, not whatever is going on nowadays. It's not coincidental.

Gambito - 9/22/2024, 7:16 AM

Ducking bullass crap bring back T’Challa!!!!

IAmAHoot - 9/22/2024, 7:44 AM

Yeah, people were thrilled just fine to see T'Challa in What If...

TheVisionary25 - 9/22/2024, 7:46 AM

@IAmAHoot - to be fair there , that show was already in the midst and had been animated with Chadwick having recorded for it already.

IAmAHoot - 9/22/2024, 7:47 AM

@TheVisionary25 - Ain't the point.

IAmAHoot - 9/22/2024, 7:53 AM

@TheVisionary25 - Plus, it's literally the matter of a one-word audio correction down the line. And, frankly, there is no reason to inherently trust this guy at his word (in particular in defaming Marvel Studios); the reasoning is very sound and respectful, but these several years later and it's questionable.

TheVisionary25 - 9/22/2024, 7:54 AM

@IAmAHoot - my bad then , it didn’t click with me lol

People did seem to enjoy the Star Lord variant of T’Challa since it allowed us to hear Boseman in the role one last time

TheVisionary25 - 9/22/2024, 8:05 AM

@IAmAHoot - that’s true though you would have change the animation/design such as the white sides a bit too since you see him unmasked aswell

Initially I thought the coloring of the suit was more greyish in that scene so I thought it was just T Chaka’s king outfit while T Challa was the warrior now.

IAmAHoot - 9/22/2024, 9:01 AM

@TheVisionary25 - If they had called him T'Challa people would have accepted it, even if he looked older. There'd still be questions, but people would have been thrilled to see a character thats presence was up in the air after the passing of the actor that played him on screen. I'd wager there would have been more excitemnt over all if it was T'challa instead of T'Chaka, and changing nothing of the design/animation.

TheVisionary25 - 9/22/2024, 10:32 AM

@IAmAHoot - I agree

TheVisionary25 - 9/22/2024, 7:45 AM

Dude is trying to make himself out to be perfect…

Apparently he made the right or atleast moral decision everytime and fought against a toxic studio environment.

It just feels like he’s trying to push aside the allegations against him hence his statements (for the most part atleast) smelling like BS to me.

In regards to them using T’Chaka and not T’Challa , I never really understood the issue since it’s never been established that all the other 90’s animated shows to my knowledge were in the same continuity as each other (I know it’s implied the Spidey we see is from TAS but he could easily be a variant).

However , I do agree that you shouldn’t restrict a character just because the only actor in live action to play him passed away unfortunately…

I can understand them not continuing on with the MCU version since Chadwick played that iteration but you shouldn’t just erase T’Challa in general.

CerealKiller1 - 9/22/2024, 9:10 AM

@TheVisionary25 - To be fair, the spidey in the show is very clearly the 90’s one, both his costume and his clothes as Peter are identical (and he teamed up with this version of the X-Men several times.) The FF show is far less connected and much easier to not include in this continuiity

TheVisionary25 - 9/22/2024, 10:31 AM

@CerealKiller1 - ahhh ok

I had forgotten if we ever got any interaction between the various 90’s shows or not so thank you

shea985 - 9/24/2024, 5:48 PM

@TheVisionary25 - Brad Winderbaum, who's Marvel Studios Head ot TV, Streaming, and Animation confirmed that all of the 90s Marvel cartoons are in the same continuity. T'Challa was in the FF4 cartoon. It's why so many fans were annoyed with Marvel breaking their own continuity for the sake of not having T'Challa depicted in animation or live action. It's unfortunate because these characters outlive the actors who portray them. So, with that in mind, it's okay to recast and continue T'Challa's story. I empathize with the situation, but we are now 4 years removed from Chad's passing. I personally don't like putting a character on the shelf and not telling their story anymore. That's one way of forgetting about a character.

FireandBlood - 9/22/2024, 7:47 AM

Recasting him within the MCU so soon is one thing, but this is an entirely different medium and universe. I don’t see the issue.

99OPTIMISTPRIME - 9/22/2024, 7:58 AM

Even though it was animation, what I HOPE is that the MCU wants to save T'Challa's return, for later down the road. Like Secret Wars or something. And have the new actor star in Black Panther 3.

JustBrootal - 9/22/2024, 8:58 AM

They’ll replace TerrenceHoward and every other white actor but not Chadwick! Boohoo! Recast and be done. You get fired from your job or someone dies on the job, guess what, sooner or later ya get replaced. On to the next one.

CerealKiller1 - 9/22/2024, 9:11 AM

@JustBrootal - Why did you need to specify ‘white’? Just say ‘every actor’

EskimoJ - 9/22/2024, 10:11 AM

@JustBrootal - "Sooner or later" still applies then doesn't it? 🙃

EskimoJ - 9/22/2024, 10:16 AM

@CerealKiller1 - Because that's where their focus is (mask slip). 🤣

They probably forgot all about Terrence Howard -- the original recast -- so had to go back and add that to their comment to give cover.

JustBrootal - 9/22/2024, 11:10 AM

@EskimoJ - shoulda been sooner rather than later.

JustBrootal - 9/22/2024, 11:11 AM

@CerealKiller1 - it’s the truth.

BobbyDrake - 9/22/2024, 11:50 AM

@JustBrootal - Did they replace Terrence Howard? Guess I never noticed the difference

Slotherin - 9/22/2024, 9:27 AM

I get not recasting Boseman but this is a whole other continuity....

dracula - 9/22/2024, 10:23 AM

and yet they recast Thunderbolt Ross right away

HulkisHoly - 9/22/2024, 10:46 AM

@dracula -

Don’t you dare use logic here.

FireandBlood - 9/22/2024, 11:21 AM

@dracula - Well, turns out Hurt was a rapist so the chances of him reprising the role were slim to none anyway.

Cleander - 9/22/2024, 12:04 PM

@FireandBlood - so continuity matters then

eagc1995 - 9/22/2024, 3:06 PM

@dracula - There is a huge difference with Ross (a character that i bet most of the audience don't care about, and i bet most of the general audience won't know that Harrison is playing that same character) and T'Challa (a character that a huge cultural impact is beloved, thus making it harder for people to accept a recast)

dracula - 9/22/2024, 4:22 PM

@eagc1995 - most were for a recast

As for the few who werent

People didnt like when they replaced Edward Norton

People got over it when the movie came out

Hell even Chadwick’s family was for the recast

Deklipz - 9/22/2024, 4:39 PM

@dracula - Didn’t realize that Hurt as Ross was revered as a cultural and racial icon for his portrayal as Ross nor did I realize that he had made such an impact… oh wait. He didn’t. That’s not a valid comparison.

dracula - 9/22/2024, 5:45 PM

@Deklipz - majority of people were for the recast of tchalla

Including chadwick’s family

Also should for sure not mean the retirement of tvhalla from all media

Tchalla already existed in this universe and had a boice actor. This wouldnt even be a recast

This t’chaka thing is no big deal but seriously if theur reason for retconning this t’challa to being t’chaka is because of boseman

Its an even more pointless choice than killing off the live action version considering this version existed pre boseman’s version

HulkisHoly - 9/22/2024, 10:46 AM

“Put humanity before continuity."

So dramatic 🙄

Batmangina - 9/22/2024, 10:54 AM

It all worked out so well, I don't know what there is to discuss.

Black Panther 2 established Shuri as a bona fide tentpole franchise character and the way they crafted 80 years of history into making Namor one of the most comic accurate portrayals of any character in modern history has cemented the next decade of box office success and critical acclaim for the MCU without a shadow of a doubt.

DP&W showed how blatant fan service is a failed business model.

Order66 - 9/22/2024, 11:25 AM

Jesus Christ we have to move on from Boseman. Yes it’s very sad but it’s time we pull the band aid off and make T’Challa relevant again.

McMurdo - 9/22/2024, 9:53 PM

@Order66 - they killed him in continuity. That was the big mistake on Feige's part.

X-MEN '97 Season 1 Showrunner Beau DeMayo Sets The Record Straight On T'Challa Not Being Black Panther

The X-Men '97 finale delivered some huge Marvel cameos, but fans were disappointed and confused to see T'Chaka serving as Black Panther in place of T'Challa. Showrunner Beau DeMayo now addresses that...

X-MEN '97: Beau DeMayo Says Marvel Scrapped His Plans For Onslaught And AGE OF APOCALYPSE Season 3

X-MEN '97: New Report Reveals When The Show Will Return To Disney+ With Season 2

X-MEN '97: Beau DeMayo Says Marvel Scrapped His Plans For Onslaught And AGE OF APOCALYPSE Season 3

X-MEN '97: New Report Reveals When The Show Will Return To Disney+ With Season 2