Summary
A formerX-Men ‘97showrunner who was recently fired called out Marvel Studios for allegedly “race-swapping” villains. He claimed that the studio replaced white villains with black people.
Race-swapping has been a talking point in the movie industry for several years. It is the practice of casting actors of a different race or ethnicity from the one associated with a character adapted from literature, comics, or previous movies. The topic is polarizing, with some supporting it because it shows diversity and is an opportunity for underrepresented racial or ethnic groups to be visible. Race-swapping classic characters could also offer new perspectives and interpretations, but a formerX-Men ‘97creator believed it was necessary to follow the original content, so he called outMarvel Studiosfor “race-swapping” the villains from the comics.
Former X-Men ‘97 Showrunner Criticizes Marvel for Race-Swapping
Beau DeMayo, theX-Men ‘97creator, took to X, formerly Twitter, and seemingly criticized Marvel Studios’ move to cast black actors to portray white villains. “Hey @MarvelStudios please stop race-swapping white villains to black people. It reads ‘funny,'” he wrote. “Kang. High Evolutionary. Norman Osborn. Electro. Mordo.” The post received mixed responses, with some supporting Mayo’s concern. However, it also sparked a new debate, with some asking him why they cast a Brazilian actor to voiceSunspot inX-Men ‘97when the character was black in the comics. DeMayo responded, saying it was a “Marvel directive.” “Crew members and I brought up his Afro heritage multiple times. They wanted ‘Latino representation’ on the team since Storm and Bishop were already black,” heexplained. Meanwhile, some online users encouraged DeMayo to just let it go. “Typically, I’m not a fan of race swapping. However, it sometimes makes for a far more interesting character take, like Louis in the AMC Interview with a Vampire series. It usually falls flat and just causes internet wars amongst trolls of both political sides,” Donny Infernocommented.
DeMayo previously worked for Marvel Studios and Disney’sX-Men ‘97but was fired in 2024. His termination sparked various rumors and, in August, Marvel released an official statement about his dismissal. “Mr. DeMayo was terminated in March 2024 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,” the statement read.
Sources toldThe Hollywood Reporterthe termination had something to do with sexual misconduct butDeMayo denied the allegationand claimed the firing was due to a pride post, perPeople. He also tweeted about the same issue, claiming that Marvel notified him they would strip him of his Season 2 credits after sharing anX-Menfan art of Cyclops on Instagram to celebrate Gay Pride.
X-Men ‘97
Cast
The animated X-Men team returns in the Disney Plus reboot, X-Men ‘97. With Professor X gone, Cyclops, Wolverine, Jean Grey, and the rest of the mutants find themselves under the leadership of Magneto and facing a new threat. X-Men ‘97 is the first project under the newly created Marvel Animation banner.
