The story of Beau DeMayo, Marvel, and an X-rated page called BeaunlyFans is as twisty as a comic book plotline—without a cinematic ending. Chris Murphy first got entangled in the saga nearly two years ago, when he spoke to DeMayo after DeMayo was fired from X-Men ’97, the hit animated series he created and ran for Disney+. Marvel says it axed DeMayo for “egregious findings”; DeMayo contended that those allegations were false, accused Marvel of creating a “toxic environment,” and believed his identity as a queer Black man and, potentially, his life online as a queer content creator were factors in his termination.
Over the course of a year, DeMayo had several conversations with Chris about his unique background and the circumstances of his dismissal—then went suddenly silent. The resulting article is a fascinating tour through one of entertainment’s biggest behemoths, the creator economy, and changing ideas of what is and is not appropriate professional behavior. In other words: Even if you’re not a comic nerd, you’ll want to read it.
Elsewhere, Clara Molot has an amuse-bouche of a scoop ahead of Taylor Swift’s (alleged) wedding, and Katie Nicholl reports on Prince Harry’s latest travel woes.
