DeMayo Claims Storm Was Supposed to Be Recast Because Allison Sealy Smith Wasn’t “African Enough”

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As a devoted film critic, I found myself deeply immersed in the captivating world of X-Men ’97, led by the skillful hand of Beau DeMayo as showrunner and head writer. Regrettably, our shared journey came to an abrupt end before we could complete the second season. Marvel Animation announced that DeMayo was let go due to allegations of inappropriate conduct, a statement that he refutes. Instead, DeMayo asserts that his termination was a reprisal for speaking out against perceived racial and unscrupulous practices within the studio.

DeMayo has brought forth significant criticisms towards Marvel Studios. One of his most noteworthy claims revolves around the casting of Storm, a character from the X-Men universe. While certain characters from the animated series “X-Men: The Animated Series” were recast, Allison Sealy Smith reprised her role as Ororo Munroe. However, DeMayo suggests that this wasn’t Marvel’s initial intention.

According to him, the executives originally intended to hire an actor with a more distinctly “African” sound and even selected someone else, as portrayed in Marvel Studios: Assembled – The Making Of X-Men ’97. However, they subsequently changed their minds, regarding this choice as a mistake.

I deeply hope this series will excel, but it’s hard to ignore the suspicion that Marvel Studios may not fully appreciate black narratives. This suspicion arises when considering instances such as top executives making racially insensitive jokes in notes meetings or stating that a pitch is acceptable solely because of one’s race.

— Beau DeMayo (@BeauDemayo) January 17, 2025

Initially, we followed their choice, but later on, they acknowledged our wisdom and compelled the team to redo approximately half of the season using the original Storm character. However, you overlooked this choice in the Making Of X-men 97 documentary, as she was charming but not quite suitable for our requirements.

— Beau DeMayo (@BeauDemayo) January 17, 2025

Despite our best efforts, we were once more informed that she didn’t fit the desired “African” tone. I’m still at a loss as to what this actually means…

Later, Marvel criticized the first six episodes, saying something was amiss. Not surprisingly, the same black individual they initially overlooked is now stepping in to rectify their mistakes, rolling my eyes in frustration. 🙄

— Beau DeMayo (@BeauDemayo) January 17, 2025

Discussions about this topic are quite intricate, with people raising valid points regarding the representation of Storm, specifically focusing on her adaptation to an American context and the tendency towards casting fairer-skinned performers for live-action parts.

Marvel’s animated productions might have been well-meaning, despite their sometimes awkward execution. Recently, the director of X-Men ’97, Jake Castorena, addressed the difficulties in recasting characters, underscoring the need to involve original cast members whenever feasible.

He shared that due to diverse circumstances preventing some voice actors from participating, they made an effort to create new opportunities for those willing.

I’m right in the midst of ongoing debates, as my remarks on Marvel’s internal choices and character representation seem to have sparked even more conversation.

Or alternatively,

The discussions haven’t stopped swirling, with my comments about Marvel’s internal decisions and character representation adding fuel to the fire and keeping the conversation going.

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2025-01-18 16:43