X-Men '97 Showrunner Ridicules Marvel's New X-Men Movie Plans: 'It's Sad'

The showrunner from X-Men '97 held nothing back in calling Marvel Studios' plan for a new X-Men movie "sad." While the MCU's first X-Men movie might not hit theaters in the foreseeable future, anticipation is still sky-high for Marvel Studios to have its crack at the mutants behind a new cast and creative team. Unfortunately, along with that excitement comes plenty of skepticism, even from some who have worked with Marvel before.

Former X-Men '97 showrunner Beau DeMayo criticized Marvel Studios' strategy for introducing the X-Men and mutants into the MCU. While DeMayo was fired from Marvel for "egregious conduct," he has remained vocal (and critical) about Marvel's upcoming plans as the franchise's financial and critical struggles continue. Along with revealing some of Marvel's plans that were reportedly in the works during his tenure, he has also held nothing back in terms of being critical about some of those plans.

Posting to X, DeMayo spoke on having faith in Marvel Studios' plans for the mutants, saying the group is "so much bigger than any one creative," including himself. While the short answer to that question was "no," he went into details on why he feels that way:

"First, the X-Men are so much bigger than any one creative, myself included. Would I have loved to write, direct, steer the live action films? Of course. But I have great faith that there are amazing artists out there who have amazing visions and stories to tell with the X-Men. Now, do I have faith in the MCU’s Mutant Saga? Short answer: Not yet, no. And let me walk through why so you don’t think I’m just being a hater."

According to DeMayo, the X-Men need "deep planning to pull them off and make them resonate." He then went into details on what Marvel had planned to do with the Mutant Saga before his unceremonious exit:

"X-Men requires planning, deep planning to pull them off and make them resonate. You also have to be very mindful of how you’re laying out their story, and the way in which audiences will experience the story. You also need to suppress your ego to 'make it your own' and focus on meeting the mutants on THEIR terms, which means deeply respecting their canon and the emotional investment that fans have in that canon. With this in mind, this is the start of Marvel Studios' Mutant Saga:"

He kicked off with the change to Kamala Khan's background, which changed her from an Inhuman to a mutant. Calling the movie a "YA retcon that Kevin [Feige] forced onto the franchise" to make it feel like his own, he lamented not seeing any of the original X-Men take that introductory position instead of Ms. Marvel. He continued by suggesting that "a newly cast Jubilee [showing] up at the end of Ms. Marvel" to recruit the young hero would have been better than what fans got:

"A retcon and musical sting in Ms Marvel that she’s now somehow a mutant. Literally, our first intro to the X-Men in the MCU is not one of the decades worth of mutants but a YA retcon that Kevin forced onto the franchise to 'make it his own' and out the 'MCU spin.' And it is a tease and retcon that they still have not paid off.

To the above, for DECADES X-Men fans have waited for teenage mutants like Jubilee and Kitty Pryde to get their justice and due in film. Kevin knows this, but just like Fox shoved a teenage retcon’d Rogue down our throats, Kevin and Marvel are shocked Khan down our throats when far more interesting mutants would do. It’s a f--- you to fans, and having been in the room with these guys it is absolutely all ego.  Even having a newly cast Jubilee show up at the end of 'Ms. Marvel' to recruit her would’ve been better than the instantly forgettable tag we got."

Moving on to the movie side, DeMayo did not enjoy the "weird nostalgia cameo of Professor X in Doctor Strange 2" that brought back Sir Patrick Stewart as the wheelchair-bound telekinetic. He then touched on The Marvels' use of Beast alongside Monica Rambeau in the mid-credits scene, calling it "a desperate play to make us care" while suggesting Monica meet somebody like Anna Paquin's Rogue:

"A weird nostalgia cameo of Professor X in 'Doctor Strange 2' that used the animated series sting, where Kevin thought it’d be fresh and cool to see the revered leader and activist visionary of the X-Men’s entire creed get brutally murdered…AGAIN. 

Next, Monica Rambeau somehow finding herself transported back to meet Beast from THE WORST X-MEN movie ever made.  Add that these two characters have ZERO history or irony to having met one another in the same way that say Nick Fury coming to meet Tony Stark had in Phase 1.  All the tags in Phase 1 begged a clear exciting story — the creation of the Avengers. What the hell does Beast and Monica tease? Nothing. It’s just a desperate play to make us care. Want a better tag? What if the film ended with Monica or Carol waking up to meet….Anna Paquin’s Rogue? Now THAT does what the MCU’s phase one tags did.   

For 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine (the second-highest-grossing movie of 2024), DeMayo complained about the MCU using characters from Fox movies that Kevin Feige "had zero to do with" and being lazy by relying on Wolverine to be the face of the X-Men. Captain America: Brave New World was mentioned as well, with the X-Men '97 writer saying the adamantium reveal "amounted to nothing." Closing off his first post, he had issues with the Fox characters who fans believed to be dead coming back for Marvel Studios as a way to "manufacture artificial interest and distract from Kevin and Marvel Studios' decade long flailing of frequent failures:"

"the retries of Wolverine and Deadpool from the Fox franchise that the MCU and Kevin had zero to do with, to tell a fan-pandering story of Reddit-wishlists that seemed to say farewell to the Fox universe. Again. And yet again, the MCU being like Fox in this lazy reliance on Wolverine as the face of the X-Men.

A contrived MacGuffin plot of adamantium in 'Captain America Brave New World' that has amounted to nothing, and begs timeline questions where I guess Ms Marvel is a mutant before Wolverine entered Weapon X.

Lastly, all the Fox characters we thought were gone and dead, are being brought out YET AGAIN to manufacture artificial interest and distract from Kevin and Marvel Studios' decade long flailing of frequent failures."

In a second lengthy post on X, DeMayo was adamant that fans will not believe "this is the care and respect and serious thinking" that the X-Men deserve, slamming Marvel's leadership in the process:

"Like, I don't mean to be a hater, but who looks at this and says this is the care and respect and serious thinking that the X-Men characters deserve? Hell, who looks at this and says this is competent leadership from a studio that is in no way alarming? 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---?

Next, DeMayo laid into Feige and former Marvel Studios producer Nate Moore for not attending X-Men '97's premiere. This led to comments about the higher-ups at Marvel acting like "Deadpool and Wolverine put X-Men back into the modern zeitgeist" while he feels that credit should have gone to X-Men '97:

"Next, let's talk about how Kevin and Nate and Marvel talk about the one thing that’s come out of Marvel that was universally loved? Oh right, they don't. In fact, Kevin and his vaunted 'Parliment' at Marvel didn’t even attend 'X-Men '97''s premiere. One of the crew members was in the elevator with Lou the day of the premiere and mentioned it and Lou had no idea what he was talking about. Also notice how everyone at Marvel talks like 'Deadpool and Wolverine' put X-Men back into the modern zeitgeist? Sorry, that was 'X-Men '97,' and even Ryan Reynolds has acknowledged it. Sadly, Kevin Fiege and his sycophants hated that what I crested with my team was getting all the praise it did."

Although he tried not to come off as egotistical, he felt that X-Men '97 "resonated with the MCU’s core audience" in ways that Feige and his team of higher-ups (often dubbed the Marvel Parliament) have not done in years. He even noted being told that Feige "resented [his] work and the show" while other artists praised him for what he accomplished:

"And before you think I’m being egotistical, I highlight this to say, under my leadership and vision, my team and I created an project that resonated with the MCU’s core audience in a way that Kevin and his Parliament have so far failed to do in over a decade. 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 'X-Men '97 wasn’t a hit. 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. I was told by several artists on the show that they had wanted to post or include blurbs commending me for my leadership and vision and all I poured into the show, only for Marvel to censor or reprimanded them. Remember, Jake Castorena was literally stoped by Marvel in an interview with IGN for 'giving me too much credit as showrunner.' Also, IGN went along with it, respected journalists that they are."

Further commenting on the X-Men having "no room for ego," he felt that Marvel's team was more focused on making their mark on the franchise rather than respecting the fans and the characters:

"All of this is ego, and the X-Men have no room for ego. Their legacy and the investment so many of us made into it is what’s the priority, not making your mark. I have yet to see anything from Kevin and Marvel that shows that they respect how much fans have invested in these characters. Now, will this change? I hope so. As I said, I have no faith…yet. But my mind can be changed — not by PR and stunt casting and nostalgia grabs — but by someone actually doing an interview at Marvel about the X-Men where I hear them talk about actually story."

Closing off his social media post, DeMayo reflected on Marvel's press releases during Phase 1, which discussed "the comics, and the themes and the stories." Now, he feels Feige and co. are too focused on the celebrities and stars taking roles in the MCU, calling it "sad" and saying they "deserve to be treated as something more than a PR springboard for Kevin:"

"Off that, I end with this: During Phase One, Marvel's Hall H and press releases were so exciting because they were talking about the comics, and the themes and the stories. They talked about the fans and doing right by them and the comics. Now, their Hall H panels and news is just Kevin or one of his lackeys talking about the latest A-list celebrity who'll be paid 8-figured to cosplay as a Marvel hero. There’s no talk of the actual heroes or characters or story, b/c Kevin and his brood are just Star-f---ing at this point hoping it’ll earn dollars at the box office. It's sad, and these characters deserve to be treated as something more than a PR springboard for Kevin and his celebrity pals's stardom and careers."

Currently, Marvel Studios is in the early stages of developing its first X-Men movie, which is likely to be a Phase 7 theatrical release for the MCU. Jake Schreier is confirmed to direct the movie, while Michael Lesslie is writing the script. The MCU's first X-Men movie does not have a release date or any cast members yet.

Will Marvel Studios Succeed With X-Men?

DeMayo certainly has merit in what he posted about his own work on X-Men '97, which is often regarded as some of the best material Marvel Studios has produced to date. The show brought emotional weight and levity for the mutants after more than two decades away from the small screen, getting fans excited for what could happen on the big screen.

While DeMayo is well aware of the struggles Marvel has had in the last few years, the X-Men appear to be one of the highest priorities when looking past the Multiverse Saga. For this saga, multiple legacy X-Men actors from 20th Century Fox movies will make their return alongside the Avengers, which will set the stage for Marvel Studios' new take on the world-famous mutants.

Marvel has already confirmed a younger direction for the X-Men in the MCU, meaning fans will get familiar with an entirely new set of faces behind heroes like Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops, Professor X, Magneto, and more.

While fans already have ideas about what Marvel should do to avoid the mistakes of past X-Men movies, there are still plenty of question about how everything will come together when these heroes and villains take their place alongside Earth's Mightiest Heroes.