Writer Beau DeMayo’s work on The Witcher, particularly his problematic depiction of a gay character’s death has resurfaced amidst his recent controversies.

Beau DeMayo served as the creator of X-Men ’97 for Marvel Studios. However, DeMayo came into the limelight for the wrong reasons when he was fired from the series shortly before its premiere in March 2024. DeMayo previously worked as a writer on Netflix’s The Witcher, where he wrote two episodes of the fantasy series.

According to reports, DeMayo’s work in the franchise was slammed by his The Witcher colleague, Matthew D’Ambrosio, for problematic treatment of a gay character. However, DeMayo has defended his decision, albeit poorly, by using his privilege as a gay writer. Here is what D’Ambrosio said about DeMayo killing off a gay character.

The Witcher Writer Matthew D’Ambrosio Slammed Beau DeMayo for Killing a Gay Character

Beau DeMayo‘s name caused shockwaves among Marvel fans after he was fired just weeks before the premiere of X-Men ’97, without a clear reason from the studio. While there is no firm explanation for DeMayo’s firing, it has brought the writer’s past into the public light.

Beau DeMayo (@beau_demayo | Instagram)

DeMayo worked as a writer for two episodes of Netflix’s The Witcher, as well as a screenwriter for the animated spin-off film The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf. In the second season of the former, a gay Witcher named Eskel is one of the first characters to die when a monster attacks Kaer Morhen.

Matthew D’Ambrosio, who serves as a staff writer for the second season, reportedly slammed the decision to kill off a gay character. In a Tumblr post, a user shared a deleted tweet from D’Ambrosio, which states the following, implying he was talking about DeMayo.

“For no reason at all I’m thinking of the time a gay writer once told me that bisexuality is a trope.”

D’Ambrosio then spoke critically about the said writer, presumably DeMayo, and his choice to kill off Eskel, a gay character, seemingly without a strong reason.

“Also another time he said that bottoms are disease receptacles (he attends a lot of circuit parties apparently) and he’d also go out of his way to kill queer characters.”

D’Ambrosio made the above statement, slamming Eskel’s death from a leshy infection in the second episode of season 2, written by DeMayo. D’Ambrosio’s comment implied that the decision to kill Eskel was a prejudiced one and bought into the burying-your-gays trope in Hollywood.

Beau DeMayo Defended Killing Off Eskel By Using His Privilege

Eskel in an episode of The Witcher

In the same Tumblr post, a fan shared a now-deleted tweet from DeMayo, where the writer interacted with fans online and addressed Eskel’s death in the second season, which preceded the massacre of other Witchers.

“Historically, pogroms sometimes progress in stages where the most different are killed first. Having a gay Witcher be the first killed speaks to this historical trend.”

DeMayo made the above statement, implying that the decision to kill off the gay character was made to highlight the historical trend seen in massacres of ethnic groups. He added the following:

“As a gay man, it was not a decision made lightly or just to bury the gay.”

DeMayo’s comment implies that being a gay writer allows him the freedom to kill off a gay character for historical context. However, DeMayo’s statement is clearly a defense of his creative decision through a privileged lens.

At the same time, DeMayo’s defense only supported D’Ambrosio’s criticism of the writer. Furthermore, the two episodes of The Witcher, written by DeMayo frequently feature among the worst episodes of the series, making him further worthy of such criticism.

The Witcher and its spin-offs are streaming on Netflix.