In a refreshing twist it seems that Beau DeMayo, the head writer on the upcoming ‘X-Men ’97’ show, insisted that the writers working on the show understood and respected the source material.

Disney and Hollywood have run into a lot of issues with fans frustrated by changes to legacy franchises in the last few years. The usual excuse given for extreme changes is the now tiresome “it’s for a modern audience” line.  What usually happens is the changes push the core audience away and the project loses fans and money. We often hear that the teams working on the project aren’t fans of the IP in the first place, or they dislike the IP and want to change it into their own story.

This trend doesn’t seem to be lost on DeMayo. Recently he posted some comments about it via his Instagram Stories and The Direct posted what he had said.  It seems that DeMayo started on the project two years ago and when he was given the position as head writer he wanted the other writers to be fans of the original material so they had respect for the work before they were “allowed to add to it’s legacy.”

He cited the work he had done on the Netflix “Witcher” series for his reasoning. Apparently many writers “actively disliked the books and games” and “mocked the source material.”

Q: “Can you discuss how the production team came about, like how they were recruited for X-Men ’97?”

A: “For sure, in fall of 2020, Marvel’s head of streaming asked me to develop a take to revive this show. From there I pitched it out, was hired. My LP was the first hire and he brought along all the amazing talent that followed. My general rule was you HAD to be a fan. No questions.
I’ve been on show – namely Witcher – where some of the writers were not or actively disliked the books and games (even actively mocking the source material.) It’s a recipe for disaster and bad morale. Fandom as a litmus test checks egos, and makes all the long nights worth it.
You have to respect the work before you’re allowed to add to its legacy.”

I’m also happy to report that fan favorite Rogue will be utilized in the new show:

Q:  I hope Rogue is still a fan favorite…you don’t mention her enough! Also have you read “Mr & Mrs X”? Not sure if you’re aware that Rogue has learned to control her powers. Will this possibly be explored?

A: “I am aware that Rogue learned to control her powers and I have mixed feelings on the shift. However, trust me when I say Rogue fans have plenty to be stoked about – in no small part due to Charley Feldman being a massive advocate for her character.”

From a fan standpoint, it is exciting to have someone in charge that knows the material and insists the other writer do as well. Changes can and will be made, but they need to feel true to the franchise and that will not happen when other people involved actively dislike the franchise or the fans. Disney has had issues with some of their people purposefully antagonizing fans on places like Twitter (looking at you Rian Johnson.) They need more people like DeMayo to do better in the future. Mend rifts don’t make them wider.

X-Men ’97 will debut on Disney+ in Fall of 2023.

What do you think? Comment and let us know!

Source: The Direct