Just days before the premiere ofX-Men ’97, Marvel Studios were reported to have“fired” showrunnerBeau DeMayo, and now Marvel’s Head of Animation Brad Winderbaum has elaborated on the surprising turn of events…sort of.
DeMayo had been lined up for a number of press interviews to promote the new Disney+ series, and was already said to be working on ideas for the third season of the show. For this reason alone, the news of his departure at such a pivotal moment came as a shock to many fans online. Naturally, this led to plenty of speculation about why DeMayo was sacked from the project, and Winderbaum has now stepped in to clear up the matter a little. Speaking withEntertainment Weekly,
“I can’t talk about the details, but I can say that Beau had a real respect and passions 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.”
Asked whether he would say DeMayo’s departure was a “firing,” he countered:
I don’t. We parted ways is the best way I could say.
This suggests that things were not quite as simple as DeMayo having been dismissed by Marvel Studios, but it will not stop the online speculation around the incident. Rumors on Friday, suggested that DeMayo’s presence on Only Fans was behind his exit, but that has not been confirmed by any of the parties involved.
X-Men ’97 Can be Marvel Studios’ Biggest Animated Series
The arrival of the X-Men in the MCU has been a long time coming thanks to the franchise originally being owned by Fox. Now that the X-Men characters are back in control of Marvel Studios, fans are eagerly awaiting their full live action debut following the inclusion ofBeast and Binary in the post-credits scene ofThe Marvels.
Before that happens, and ahead of this summer’sDeadpool & Wolverinewill allegedly really kickstart the X-Men’s time in the MCU,X-Men ’97will bring the old ‘90s series back to life for a new generation of fans, and of course,those who watchedX-Men: The Animated Serieswhen it first aired. With that kind of nostalgic throwback being very popular right now, the new series is likely to soar up the Disney+ charts on its debut next week.
The synopsis of the series reads:
“X-Men ’97 revisits the iconic era of the 1990s as The X-Men, a band of mutant who use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them, are challenged like never before, forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future.”
X-Men ‘97 First Reactions Heap Praise on Nostalgic Return of Beloved Series on Disney+
The first reactions to the animated sequel series X-Men ‘97 declare the return well worth the wait.
The 10-episode first season kicks off on March 20, with a double episode, and releases weekly episodes weekly through to its conclusion on May 15. The show features the voice talents of Ray Chase, Cal Dodd, Jennifer Hale, Alison Sealy-Smith, George Buza, and Adrian Hough among others. With Season 2 already reportedly written, and Season 3 having been discussed, it looks like we can expect to see a lot more from this iteration of the X-Men as their live-action counterparts prepare to descend on the MCU.
X-Men: The Animated Seriesis already streaming on Disney+.X-Men ‘97debuts on March 20.
