‘X-Men ’97’ creator breaks his silence after shocking exit, shares how queer history inspired the series
X-Men ’97—the nostalgia-fueled, decades-later sequel to the classic animated Marvel series—is a banger, delightfully recapturing the soapy superhero drama that made the original such a favorite.But it’s not just millennials who are eating it up: Since its debut this past March, X-Men ’97 has been a hit with critics and audiences, and streamer Disney+ has touted it as one of its most-watched original series. (Considering Marvel movies have been disappointing at the box office lately, ushering in an era of so-called “superhero fatigue,” the series’ smash success is no small feat.)Subscribe to our newsletter for your front-row seat to all things entertainment with a sprinkle of everything else queer.And we’re especially excited because, while the superhero team has a strong, oft-analyzed appeal to LGBTQ+ audiences—with mutants being a clear stand-in for anyone who’s been “othered”—’97 leans in to that subtext, giving the gays everything they want.
And, no, we’re not just talking about Gambit’s crop-top. It would seem a large amount of that credit should be due to series creator Beau DeMayo, a TV writer with credits on Netflix‘s The Witcher, The CW’s The Originals, and Marvel’s own Moon Knight.
A Black, queer man, DeMayo has spoken at length about the X-Men’s significance to him, and it’s clear that connection has shaped his approach to the show.However, it was just a few days prior to X-Men ’97‘s debut that it was announced DeMayo had been let go.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Marvel’s head of animation Brad Winderbaum was careful to not call the exit a “firing,” simply sharing they “parted ways” without providing further details.DeMayo himself declined to comment at the time and even momentarily deleted his social media.A post shared by Beau DeMayo (@beau_demayo)But after this week’s momentous episode of the series, “Remember It,” DeMayo finally broke his silence with a note on X.
