Former ‘X-Men ’97’ Showrunner Explodes Over ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Trailers and Claims Marvel Is Pushing White Male Leads

Beau DeMayo is once again speaking out against Marvel Studios and white superheroes, this time turning his attention to the marketing for Avengers: Doomsday.

The former X-Men ’97 showrunner shared his frustration on social media, accusing the studio of favoring white male characters in the film’s trailers.

Avengers: Doomsday currently has several character-focused trailers playing in theaters. Each one highlights a different hero. So far, the previews have centered on characters like Steve Rogers, Thor, and a trailer featuring Magneto and Professor X. While Marvel has not officially revealed details about every trailer, DeMayo claims the pattern is clear.

Posting on X, DeMayo criticized the lineup and suggested the choices were intentional. He wrote, “Also let’s just be real about #AvengersDoomsday. Trailer #1 — white male. Trailer #2 — white male. Trailer #3 — white male. Trailer #4 — a little sprinkle of black but also white male.”

He continued by saying, “The fact folks think this isn’t by design is the epitome of looking the other way. Folks who look like me and those who don’t have p**** are not being invited to this movie.”

This is not the first time DeMayo has accused Marvel of discrimination. After his departure from X-Men ’97, he claimed his firing was linked to his identity as a gay Black man. Marvel Studios strongly denied those claims at the time and released a statement explaining the decision.

In March 2024, Marvel confirmed that DeMayo was removed following an internal investigation. The studio said in a statement, “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.”

According to a source familiar with the matter, the investigation uncovered alleged s***** misconduct. The same source said DeMayo also violated the terms of his exit agreement, which led to his writing credits being removed from season two of the animated series.

Beyond casting concerns, DeMayo also took aim at story choices shown in the Avengers: Doomsday trailers. He criticized Marvel for leaning into themes about heroes protecting children. He pointed to moments involving Steve Rogers worrying about a child and Thor’s connection to his adopted daughter.

In another post, DeMayo wrote, “And let’s not forget that after a string of flops they all featured their heroes fretting about ‘having kids,’ here we are again with all our heroes fretting about kids.” He added, “Look the film could be great. But right now I see a bunch of ‘oh the children’ lazy storyline and Doctor Doom reduced from a king and leader to a kidnapper LOL.”

DeMayo has continued to voice anger toward Marvel and its leadership in recent months. He also recently criticized director Jake Schreier after Schreier was selected to helm the upcoming X-Men reboot, a job DeMayo reportedly wanted.

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