Magneto in 'X-Men '97'.
(Disney+)

‘Heard the same words’: ‘X-Men 97’s Beau DeMayo alleges he faced Disney’s ‘less gay’ policy

Beau DeMayo continues to talk about Disney on social media. DeMayo, who was reportedly fired from X-Men ’97 due to sexual misconduct, has been doubling down on his tweets about his former employer. Now, he claims he was told to make his animated X-Men series “less gay.”

Recommended Videos

Rumors began to circulate that Disney told Pixar to make Riley’s character in Inside Out 2 “less gay.” Those online began criticizing the company and questioning why they were catering to people who would ask this of their films. DeMayo claims that X-Men ’97 got the same note. “Heard the same words ‘less gay’ on X-Men ’97 when it came to Magnus and Xavier, as well as marketing,” he wrote on X.

In another post, DeMayo also claimed that Disney forced Magneto to wear briefs in a scene where he is being tied up. According to the former creator, he stated that Magneto was naked until changes needed to be made. “Originally, he was nude and the beat played as dehumanizing torture. It was Marvel’s idea to put him in briefs. The crew and I were so beaten down by that point we just gave each other looks, knowing their note would do the opposite. Such is ignorance … “

The scene in question, according to DeMayo, was about two men looking at each other with brotherly solidarity. “True, but when they start misinterpreting two males exchanging a look of brotherly solidarity before battle as ‘too gay’ and one execs favorite word ‘creepy,’ there’s an issue.”

DeMayo has been just tweeting things without a response

In August, Disney released a statement about DeMayo’s firing when it was announced that he’d no longer get credit on the second season of the show. “Mr. DeMayo was terminated in March 2023 following an internal investigation. Given the egregious nature of the findings, we severed ties with him immediately, and he has no further affiliation with Marvel.”

Since then, DeMayo has been posting about the company and its MCU plans. He claimed that the original script for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was very different from what we got with Michael Waldron’s take on the story, and now he is connecting X-Men ’97 to the reported Pixar claim.

Disney has yet to say another word about DeMayo’s firing but some rumors do not paint DeMayo in the best light. Whether or not he actually got that note from Disney or this is part of a larger takedown of the company, we can’t say for certain.


The Mary Sue is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Rachel Leishman
Rachel Leishman
Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is an Assistant Editor at the Mary Sue. She's been a writer professionally since 2016 but was always obsessed with movies and television and writing about them growing up. A lover of Spider-Man and Wanda Maximoff's biggest defender, she has interests in all things nerdy and a cat named Benjamin Wyatt the cat. If you want to talk classic rock music or all things Harrison Ford, she's your girl but her interests span far and wide. Yes, she knows she looks like Florence Pugh. She has multiple podcasts, normally has opinions on any bit of pop culture, and can tell you can actors entire filmography off the top of her head. Her current obsession is Glen Powell's dog, Brisket. Her work at the Mary Sue often includes Star Wars, Marvel, DC, movie reviews, and interviews.