X-Men ’97 Showrunner Blasts Marvel Over Reboot Director, Accuses Studio of Hypocrisy and Cover-Up

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Shortly following Marvel Studios’ confirmation that Jake Schreier would direct the much-anticipated Thunderbolts, ex-X-Men ‘97 showrunner Beau DeMayo publicly lashed out on social media with a series of allegations against the studio, essentially implicating Disney as well.

DeMayo, who was unexpectedly dismissed from the production of X-Men ’97 just before its release, didn’t hold back in a blunt critique he posted online, accusing Marvel of favoring mediocre talent and retaliating against those who expose internal misbehavior.

It seems remarkable that a studio like Marvel Studios, with an atmosphere reminiscent of a country club in a plantation setting, can produce a good movie that fails to recoup its costs, yet still secure such opportunities.

Oh to fit a certain demographic in Hollywood and just fail upwards 🙄

ZERO interest in seeing what him and…

— Beau DeMayo (@BeauDemayo) June 19, 2025

Wow, it seems only at Marvel Studios, with its exclusive ‘plantation-like’ atmosphere, can you create a good movie that still underperforms financially and secure such a position,” DeMayo wrote, hinting at Schreier’s Thunderbolts – a film that has turned out to be a major box office disappointment. “How fascinating it is to cater to a specific audience in Hollywood and still manage to climb the ladder despite failing.

He criticized the employment choice as “unfortunately weak” and asserted that the upcoming X-Men movie would be “Iger’s interpretation,” lacking any genuine delving into the primary motifs.

Instead of having straight white men in charge to prevent a repetition of incidents similar to what occurred during the production of #Blade, where a male lead disrespected a female black writer by tossing her script across the room and loudly expressing his distaste for collaborating with women, it might be wiser to involve more diverse creators.

What did @MarvelStudios do? Fired her to appease…

— Beau DeMayo (@BeauDemayo) June 19, 2025

As a devoted cinema enthusiast, I can’t help but feel the heat when DeMayo speaks out about Marvel Studios. He claims that they dismissed a Black female writer from Blade following an altercation where a male lead is said to have discarded her script and shouted, “this is why I don’t like working with women.” According to DeMayo, not only was the writer let go, but he faced retaliation for reporting the incident. This led to his departure from Blade and an unpleasant stint on X-Men ’97.

He wanted to know what action Marvel Studios’ leadership took after he reported something to them. They kicked him off the Blade project, and subsequently made his time on X-Men ’97 difficult because he had spoken out against their powerful council.”

This version is a bit more formal than the original, but it maintains the same meaning and flow while using easier-to-read language.

DeMayo asserts that he possesses supporting evidence in the form of records and witnesses, and alleges that Marvel has made significant efforts to suppress the incident, even going so far as to accuse prominent media outlets such as Variety, Vanity Fair, and Empire of being complicit in this cover-up.

“This is their true face and they’re not even hiding it anymore,” he concluded.

fundamental criticism at the center of DeMayo’s outburst targets Disney and Marvel’s public persona, which emphasizes diversity, inclusion, and ethical superiority. This critique suggests that despite their public stance on virtuous narratives and political identity issues, these institutions may not live up to their own ideals in private.

The accusations remain unverified, and no official statement has been released by Marvel Studios or Disney regarding DeMayo’s claims. Notably, Nate Moore—the lone Black executive DeMayo mentioned—has reportedly parted ways with Marvel, but under what circumstances remains unclear.

Currently, Jake Schreier has been officially linked as the director for the upcoming X-Men reboot, with filming scheduled to start in 2026. Whether DeMayo’s statements gain credibility or are dismissed is yet to be determined. However, it’s clear that Marvel’s polished public persona is under examination again, this time from its creative team members.

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2025-06-20 21:56