Marvel animation head Brad Winterbaum addresses showrunner Beau DeMayo’s sudden exit from the animated revival series X-Men ’97.
On the eve of its Disney+ debut on March 20, X-Men ’97 showrunner Beau DeMayo exited the project unceremoniously. Questions surrounding DeMayo’s departure started circulating immediately when the news reached social media and other outlets. Nowadays, the stewards of marque projects for top-of-the-food-chain studios like Disney and Marvel don’t simply “disappear” without people assuming the worst. Today, Brad Winderbaum, the head of streaming television and animation at Marvel Studios, commented on DeMayo’s exit, though his remarks are somewhat vague.
“I can’t talk about the details,” Winderbaum tells Entertainment Weekly, “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.”
When asked if he would call DeMayo’s departure a “firing,” Winderbaum said, “I don’t. ‘We parted ways’ is the best way I could say.” Meanwhile, DeMayo’s reps did not respond when EW asked for a comment.
Amazingly, DeMayo completed work on Season 1 and Season 2 of X-Men ’97 before his exit. He’s been at the head of the revival since 2021 and is an integral part of the series. Oddly, someone wiped DeMayo’s social media presence from the internet around his departure from the series. The accounts are active again, making the brief radio silence even more bizarre. Maybe DeMayo didn’t feel like being swamped with questions until he was ready to share his story.
“He did excellent work writing seasons 1 and 2, and I can’t wait for fans to see the series,” Winderbaum told Variety. “The entire team came together to create a revival worthy of the X-Men’s 60-year legacy. From Stan and Jack, to Claremont, to the Lewalds, we all truly were standing on the shoulders of giants.”
Regarding hiring a new showrunner, Winderbaum says it’s too early to talk about such things but wants fans to know the show is in good hands.
“I’ve now seen versions of animatics for the entire second season,” Winterbaum says. “Obviously, when you’re in that stage, there’s a lot of work to do. It’s editorial, but it’s also still iterative because there’s still story to be worked out when you put it on its feet in that way. We’re going to start development on the third season very soon. And, yeah, we’re trying to figure out who is going to be that voice on the page, but luckily — that’s going to come as a surprise — there’s many talented X-Men fans, excellent writers.”
People online have speculated that DeMayo’s exit could have stemmed from his non-explicit OnlyFans account, though its existence is well known and has been for some time.
What do you think about Beau DeMayo’s exit from X-Men ’97? While you’re mulling that over, be on the lookout for our interview with X-Men ’97 supervising director and producer Jake Castorena closer to the show’s two-episode launch on Disney+ on March 20.
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