Right before X-Men '97 launched on Disney+, the trades broke the news that Head Writer Beau DeMayo had been fired from the animated series.
Interviews with the press were cancelled at the last minute and no specific reason for his ousting was ever revealed from official (or unofficial) sources. Making it all the more surprising was the fact Marvel Studios had previously tapped DeMayo to contribute to projects such as Moon Knight and Blade.
Brad Winderbaum, the head of streaming, television, and animation at Marvel Studios, then shared something of a clarification by addressing the situation ahead of the two-episode premiere.
"I can't talk about the details," he admitted, "but I can say that Beau had real respect and passion for these characters and wrote what I think are excellent scripts that really the rest of the team were able to draw inspiration from [to] build this amazing show that's on screen."
Asked if he would consider DeMayo's MCU departure a firing, Winderbaum replied, "I don't. 'We parted ways' is the best way I could say."
In recent weeks, DeMayo has broken his silence on social media by sharing key insights into the X-Men '97's first season. He's never directly addressed why he and Marvel Studios "parted ways," but has received widespread acclaim for a show which has been singled out as being among the MCU's best small screen offerings.
When a fan wondered how much he contributed to the upcoming second season, DeMayo responded, "I did write a lot of season 2. However, unlike Season 1, I will not be heavily involved or leading production, cast records, design, editorial, post, music, etc., nor doing any production rewrites as it relates to the creative vision of the show."
"This is why I’ve said I can’t really speak to Season 2. But, looking forward to seeing the final product with you all whenever it airs. I have high hopes."
We don't entirely know what this means for X-Men '97 moving forward or whether losing DeMayo's voice will negatively impact the series. Based on many of his recent X posts, he was definitely the main creative force behind much of what we've seen, anyway.
X-Men '97 revisits the iconic era of the 1990s as The X-Men, a band of mutants who use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them, are challenged like never before, forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future.
All episodes of X-Men '97 are now streaming on Disney+.