X-Men ’97 Creator Says Kevin Feige Resented the Show, Paid for Crew Wrap Party Himself

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The creator of the “X-Men ’97” series, Beau DeMayo, has once again voiced criticism towards Marvel Studios’ leadership, specifically Kevin Feige. He alleges that Feige harbors resentment towards the show’s success, did not attend its premiere, and failed to acknowledge or celebrate the team’s efforts.

Additionally, he elaborated on his viewpoint regarding a supposedly flawed “legislative” system that often passes ill-informed resolutions and delegates comedic study to subordinates.

Kevin Feige’s “Parliament” of Execs

According to DeMayo, one of the challenges in Marvel’s creative process is a group of executives, often referred to as “Kevin’s parliament,” who offer feedback on each project regardless of their level of understanding about it.

A group of high-ranking individuals often provide numerous comments on projects, regardless of their familiarity with them. Fortunately, Kevin and Parliament showed little interest in #xmen97, so I never received feedback from them. I believe this lack of involvement was one factor that allowed my team and me to successfully execute our plans. We were not working as a committee to create a show.

No Premiere Support, No Wrap Party

As per DeMayo’s account, the leaders of Marvel chose not to attend the premiere of X-Men ’97 and also declined to organize a wrap party. Consequently, DeMayo decided to fund a wrap party on his own.

For me, one of the last breaking points was that Kevin and the studio management didn’t attend the premiere to acknowledge and support the hardworking cast and crew who devoted their time for three years, seven days a week. Additionally, the studio refused to organize a celebration party in May to mark the show’s success. Interestingly, it was me who spent 7k of my own money to arrange a wrap party for the crew.

“Feige Resented X-Men ’97’s Success”

DeMayo alleges that Feige was unhappy with how fans were using the series to criticize the MCU.

I learned that he’d appreciate less if spectators kept using it as a gauge for changes in the MCU. The complication arises because Kevin has no involvement in #xmen97 and can’t claim any credit for it.

The individual claims that Marvel employees secretly commended the series as their finest work from the studio, yet this praise made him perceived as a potential challenge to those in leadership positions.

Prior to the broadcast of the show, Marvel staff members were inquiring about my techniques for creating such an excellent production, considering the studio’s previous standing. It seemed that I posed a challenge and concern to the senior management.

“Not Sexy Enough” for Marvel Studios

As a dedicated cinephile, I must admit it was quite surprising that during the premiere, neither Kevin Feige nor Co-President Louis D’Esposito were present to express their gratitude towards the fans, the visionary original creators, and the exceptional voice cast who brought our beloved characters to life.

Regrettably, our small animated series didn’t possess the allure or gravitas that would have made it worthy of Kevin Feige’s attendance. It simply wasn’t captivating enough for him.

Outsourcing Comic Knowledge

DeMayo additionally criticized Marvel’s internal methods for transforming their source material, likening it to what the creators of “Secret Invasion” once boasted about – not even reading the comics, and that the team behind “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Endgame” were apparently uninterested in doing so.

As a helper to the lead movie producer, I take on the task of delving into comic books and generating a Development Document. The reason behind this is to ensure that the main producer, who is responsible for the film-making process, doesn’t need to spend time reading the intellectual property (IP) we are transforming into movies.

Instead, he mentioned that the producers and Feige examine a draft written by assistants, filter concepts, and subsequently pass it on to writers – with the instruction that they should avoid reading the comics personally.

Later on, the writers are instructed not to peruse the comic books, but rather to create a proposal based on the Development Document. Fortunately, Brad Winderbaum wisely avoided offending my intellect by providing me with this particular document instead.

“They Need to Go”

DeMayo concurred with renowned comic figure, Rob Liefeld, suggesting a change in leadership, specifically Feige and many members of his team, should be swapped out.

Most, if not all of them, rely on their assistants, often enthusiasts themselves, to read the comics for them. These ‘assistants’ compile reports instead, sparing them from this task… It’s not only about being a fan, but also about thorough preparation.

Beau DeMayo also says he has no faith in Feige and Marvel’s plans for the X-Men reboot.

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2025-08-16 04:42