THE APEX TIMES
‘X-Men ’97’ creator Beau DeMayo says he was “very honest” with Marvel about OnlyFans work and complained it felt like a “DEI hire”
Nearly two years after suing Marvel, Beau DeMayo, the creator of Disney+’s X-Men ’97, described his account of how his work including OnlyFans was handled before his March 2024 termination and the lead-up to his removal from the series ahead of its premiere.
Beau DeMayo, the creator of Disney+’s X-Men ’97, said he was “very honest” with Marvel about his OnlyFans work and told reporters that the situation he experienced “felt like” a “DEI hire,” in comments published July 1 by Deadline. DeMayo made the remarks as he continues to litigate his separation from the animated series, nearly two years after filing suit against Marvel.
The statements come in the context of what DeMayo has described as alleged treatment leading up to his March 2024 termination. Deadline reported that the creator, who was removed from the show ahead of its premiere, said he believed Marvel was aware of his adult content work and that he had raised the topic directly.
DeMayo’s account, as described by Deadline, centers on his view of communications with Marvel about his OnlyFans involvement with Marvel Studios Animation. He characterized those discussions as candid, saying he was “very honest” about that work. He also said the overall experience left him feeling like he was being handled in a way that resembled a “DEI hire,” a characterization Deadline attributes to DeMayo.
In the same interview, Deadline framed the discussion as tied to DeMayo’s lawsuit and his assertion that he was treated differently than he expected after his creator role was established for X-Men ’97. Deadline noted the timeline as running “nearly two years after” DeMayo sued Marvel, and it placed his termination in March 2024, before the series’ premiere.
Marvel has not been quoted in the Deadline coverage provided for this report, and Deadline did not establish additional details here about what Marvel said internally or what the company’s documented rationale was for ending DeMayo’s role. As a result, the claims about the motivation behind decisions are presented in this story as DeMayo’s account.
The practical implications for audiences and the studio remain centered on how creative credits and production responsibilities are handled when creators are removed from high-profile projects. For labor and governance, the dispute also raises questions about disclosure expectations, communications around personal work, and the process for managing creator-contributor changes in major studio animation.
No additional court filings, rulings, or settlement terms are described in the Deadline report excerpted for this story. The next measurable steps for the public record are the continued litigation process and any future statements, filings, or documentation that clarify what Marvel knew, when it knew it, and how it applied any related standards during the production period.
Why It Matters
- The statements add to an ongoing public record about creator removals from major studio animation and the impact on how production responsibilities and credits are managed.
- The dispute, tied to DeMayo’s adult-content work and alleged communications with Marvel Studios Animation, highlights how personal outside work can intersect with studio expectations during production.
- For audiences, the reporting underscores that high-profile series can change personnel before release, which can affect creative control and public-facing authorship of a franchise.
- For the industry, the case focuses attention on standards, disclosure, and documentation in creator-studio relationships, especially when termination occurs before a premiere.
Key Facts
- Beau DeMayo, creator of Disney+’s X-Men ’97, said he was “very honest” with Marvel about his OnlyFans work, according to Deadline’s July 1 report.
- Deadline said DeMayo was terminated in March 2024.
- Deadline reported that DeMayo was removed from X-Men ’97 ahead of the series’ premiere.
- Deadline said DeMayo made the remarks nearly two years after suing Marvel.
- Deadline said DeMayo described the situation as feeling like a “DEI hire.”