The original showrunner for X-Men ’97 had ambitious plans for the character Gambit, but he doesn’t think those plans will ever come to fruition. The Disney+ series was a continuation of X-Men: The Animated Series from the 90s – hence the ‘’97’’ in the title. Beau DeMayo led the creative direction for the first two seasons, but was removed from his position just before Season 1 launched. Despite this, and his ongoing discussions about the show online, Marvel decided to remove his name from the credits for the upcoming second season, slated for 2026. DeMayo continues to share what he envisioned for the series.
Beau DeMayo, who previously led the creative direction of X-Men ’97, shared on X what he had envisioned for Gambit’s storyline. He planned to feature Gambit in Season 3, adapting the ‘Age of Apocalypse’ arc where Magneto tasks him with gathering a team to locate and steal the M’Krann Crystal.
This all started because someone asked why he’d lowered Wolverine’s ranking to a “C character” in the show. He explained he planned to rotate which characters took center stage each season, a technique he learned from Julie Plec, creator of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. DeMayo stated, “This isn’t about Wolverine anymore. It’s time to focus on other stories.” He also mentioned that Gambit’s storyline was originally planned for the third season.
DeMayo envisioned the show centering around the Gold Team – Cyclops, Storm, Magneto, and Jean Grey. Supporting characters would have included Rogue, Xavier, Wolverine, Morph, Cable, and Jubilee. Gambit was initially planned as a minor character on the Red Team, but DeMayo’s team successfully argued for him to have a larger role starting in the third season. He stated this plan was something his team ‘fought for and proved’ was a good idea.
Look, it’s really frustrating to hear about Beau DeMayo being let go from X-Men ’97. From what I understand, it stemmed from him being a challenging person to work with, and there were even some serious accusations of misconduct. But the weird thing is, his departure agreement let him keep talking about the show, so he hasn’t been shut down. Honestly, I’m glad he can still share what he had planned for the future – it gives us fans some hope and insight into where things were headed.
Will X-Men ’97 Have a Drop-Off in Quality?
I base my approach on a method taught to me by Julie Plec: regularly changing the focus characters each season. For example, Gambit was the central figure in Season 3, and I planned to adapt his storyline from the ‘Age of Apocalypse’ comic, where he’s tasked by Magneto to gather a team and find the M’Krann Crystal.
— Beau DeMayo (@BeauDemayo) December 28, 2025
The one thing that Beau DeMayo pushed for was using Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s initial design for the X-Men as allegories for people who face discrimination and prejudice. The team has always been stand-ins for people of color and the LGBTQ+ community, as regular humans hate mutants in the comics because they were born with powers, something the mutants had no control over. This has been in place since the start of the X-Men comic books, and remains one of the biggest storyline ideas, from “God Loves… Man Kills” to “Days of Future Past.”
The movies generally kept the conflict focused on mutants battling other mutants, but the animated series truly captured the spirit of Lee and Kirby’s original designs. Creator Beau DeMayo aimed to update the series for a modern audience, emphasizing themes of found family and social issues like prejudice and intolerance. He believed that achieving social acceptance was more complex now than when the original series aired, and this focus made X-Men ’97 a compelling watch for fans who enjoy more thought-provoking Marvel stories.
Fans worry that the animated series will lose its depth and won’t tackle important social issues—themes the X-Men were originally designed to explore—now that Beau DeMayo, a gay Black creator, is no longer leading the project. DeMayo doesn’t believe Marvel will prioritize these complex themes, and a planned storyline featuring Gambit in space is unlikely to happen after the changes made following his departure. However, he wants fans to know what his vision for the show included.
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2025-12-29 01:10