X-MEN ‘97 Showrunner Claims Kevin Feige “Resented” the Animated Series' Success
The creative clash behind Marvel’s X-Men ‘97 just got a whole lot messier. According to former showrunner Beau DeMayo, X-Men ‘97 may have been a hit with fans, but it was also a sore spot for Kevin Feige, the architect of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In a passionate and candid series of social media posts, DeMayo didn’t hold back as he detailed why he believes the MCU is struggling creatively and how his own animated project stirred up resentment at the top of Marvel Studios.
Despite being fired by Marvel ahead of X-Men ‘97's premiere, with the studio citing “egregious” behavior and severing all ties following an internal investigation, DeMayo insists his criticisms stem from genuine creative frustration, not spite.
"Remember, I was told by a TOP exec at Marvel last year that Kevin resented my work and the show because FANS like you were using it as a referendum on how Kevin’s MCU is failing."
According to DeMayo, Feige and his close circle (referred to as “the Parliament”) didn’t appreciate how much X-Men ‘97 resonated with fans, especially since it was outside their control.
“I was told this in a phone call after Ep 5 premiered. I asked the exec if Kevin was happy, because stupidly I still wanted to help the studio out. There response was a long pause, and then I was told that he’d be ‘happier’ if fans and audiences weren’t using it as a referendum on what the MCU needs to be doing to fix itself.
“What makes it worse I think is that Kevin has nothing to do with #xmen97 and could take no credit for it. Even internally, before the show aired, Marvel employees were reaching out to me asking how I was able to make a show this good given where the studio was, and how it’s the best thing the studio had done. With their praise I noticed more and more that I was becoming a threat and regret to studio leadership.”
DeMayo claimed Feige was annoyed that people were holding the animated show up as an example of what the MCU should be, a franchise that takes canon seriously and focuses on character-driven storytelling.
“Kevin is introducing new concepts like adamantium and mutant Ms Marvel while simultaneously recycling old Fox characters all before telling us they’re going to reboot everything anyways? Like, what the f*ck?”
DeMayo also alleges that Marvel leadership downplayed the success of the series and actively tried to erase his contributions.
“Instead of looking at what my team and I did and learning to replicate our focus on canon and deep character work, they smeared me, tactically threatened the crew not to speak out while continuing to still abuse them, and have done everything to act like #xmen97 wasn’t a hit.”
He pointed to the absence of Feige and Marvel exec Louis D’Esposito at the X-Men ‘97 premiere as another example of the studio’s lack of support.
“They didn’t show up to thank the fans. They didn’t show up to thank @xmentas, the Lewalds and Houston or the OG voice cast, for how they built that foundation back in the 90s of the MCU. Nope, we were just a little cartoon that wasn’t sexy enough or taken seriously enough to warrant that great Kevin Feige to attend.”
Despite the personal controversy surrounding DeMayo’s exit, which includes disturbing allegations of inappropriate behavior, there’s no denying that X-Men ‘97 struck a nerve with longtime Marvel fans in a way recent live-action MCU projects haven’t. Even Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy and Ryan Reynolds have acknowledged the show’s impact.
“Sorry, that was #xmen97, and even Ryan Reynolds has acknowledged it. Sadly, Kevin Fiege and his sycophants hated that what I created with my team was getting all the praise it did.”
DeMayo ended his commentary with a call for Marvel to return to storytelling rooted in the comics and characters, not just celebrity cameos and box office hype.
“There’s no talk of the actual heroes or characters or story, because Kevin and his brood are just Star-fucking at this point hoping it’ll earn dollars at the box office.”
It’s still unclear how Marvel Studios plans to reboot the X-Men for the MCU. With X-Men ‘97 set to return for Season 2, though without DeMayo, the pressure is on for Feige and company to deliver something that meets fan expectations.
Until then, the legacy of X-Men ‘97 is now tangled in behind-the-scenes drama and questions about Marvel’s direction. DeMayo may be out of the picture, but his criticisms are echoing through the fandom, challenging the studio to prove it hasn’t lost its way.