5 Showrunners Who Were Fired From TV Shows They Created

While it isn’t rare for a showrunner to be removed from a TV series, it’s slightly less common for a showrunner to get fired from a show they created, yet hit shows from “Community” to “Rick and Morty” have all experienced this phenomenon. The reason for the firing can range from not running the show efficiently to more serious allegations made against the showrunner. And since this occurs so rarely, the firings have become spectacles that will forever be part of pop culture history.

Of course, the removal of a showrunner comes with a risk. When a show’s creator leaves, it can lead to a bad season from which the show may struggle to recover. Shows like “Community” and “Mayans M.C.” have been criticized by fans and critics for getting worse in their later seasons, after their original showrunners were fired. Still, it can be a risk worth taking for studios to create a healthier work environment.

Justin Roiland fired from Rick and Morty

Justin Roiland is arguably the most notable case of a showrunner getting fired from a TV series they created. In 2013, he and “Community” showrunner Dan Harmon created “Rick and Morty,” an Emmy-winning animated series about a mad scientist and his grandson’s adventures through the multiverse. Roiland was also the voice behind both lead characters.

The showrunner’s downfall started in 2020 when Roiland was arrested for domestic battery and false imprisonment of an unidentified woman. Roiland was charged in 2020, but news of the incident didn’t break until 2023. This inspired other women to come forward, accusing Roiland of sexual harassment and sexual assault, or alleging that the showrunner groomed them when they were minors. 

Within weeks, Roiland was fired by Adult Swim as both the showrunner and lead voice actor in “Rick and Morty,” and the series continued without him. A day later, Hulu announced that it had also fired Roiland from “Koala Man,” which he produced and starred in, and “Solar Opposites,” which he starred in and created with Mike McMahan. Roiland was cleared of the domestic violence charges in March 2023, and his lawyer told NBC News that the other allegations regarding grooming or sexual assault were “false and defamatory.” Roiland was not charged for these other allegations, but he never returned to the TV industry.

Dan Harmon fired from Community

Long before “Rick and Morty,” Harmon created another Emmy-winning sitcom “Community,” which retroactively became a hit after it finished airing. But as the show was struggling with ratings, NBC fired Harmon after the third season in 2012. 

“They literally haven’t called me since the season four pickup, so their reasons for replacing me are clearly none of my business,” the “Rick and Morty” co-creator wrote in a since-deleted Tumblr post, E! News reported.

An exact reason for Harmon’s firing was never given, with publications and fans offering multiple possible reasons, from his feud with “Community” star Chevy Chase, to Harmon going over budget and delivering episodes late. Harmon eventually opened up about the ouster, saying in a 2012 episode of G4’s “Attack of the Show” series, “To people who work above me, I am a liability that isn’t worth the benefit. A low-rated show that’s not generating much revenue.”

But the firing ended up backfiring. Season 4 received the most mixed reviews across the series, so Harmon was reinstated for Season 5. By then, however, several of the original cast members had left, and the series had lost its spark, so NBC canceled it after Season 5. Though it was brought back by Yahoo! for a final season, it was never as good as the first three.

Beau DeMayo fired from X-Men 97

Beau DeMayo is the most recent prominent showrunner-creator firing after his one-season run of “X-Men 97.” He didn’t fully come up with the series from scratch, since it’s a revival of the ’90s animated “X-Men” series, which ended in 1997. But DeMayo was the showrunner in charge of the revival and was able to create a show that was still loved by fans, won a Critics Choice award, and was nominated for an Emmy.

DeMayo was fired by Disney in March 2024, just weeks before “X-Men ’97” was set to premiere. In August 2024, he eventually addressed the situation on X: “Above is #XMen fan-art I posted on Instagram for Gay Pride in June. On June 13, #Marvel sent a letter notifying me that they’d stripped my Season 2 credits due to the post. Sadly, this is the latest in a troubling pattern I suffered through while on working on #XMen97 and #Blade.” The image was a digital art depiction of the X-Men character Cyclops made to look like DeMayo, wearing little clothing.

Marvel responded with a statement to Variety, saying, “Mr. DeMayo was terminated in March 2024 following an internal investigation. Given the egregious nature of the findings, we severed ties with him immediately and he has no further affiliation with Marvel.” DeMayo then denied these allegations in a 30-minute video where he accused Marvel and Disney executives and employees of racism and other misconduct. 

Andrew Kreisberg from the Arrowverse

Andrew Kreisberg was one of the co-creators behind The CW’s “Arrowverse,” a TV universe of DC shows. He was specifically the co-creator of “Arrow,” “The Flash,” and “Supergirl” and an executive producer behind another offshoot, “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.” But in 2017, at the height of the franchise’s success, Kreisberg was suspended from the role by Warner Bros. TV Group.

“We have recently been made aware of allegations of misconduct against Andrew Kreisberg,” the company said in a statement to Variety. “We have suspended Mr. Kreisberg and are conducting an internal investigation.” Variety reported, without naming theassed them or made inappropriate physical contact

Kreisberg denied the allegations, telling Variety, “I have made comments on women’s appearances and clothes in my capacity as an executive producer, but they were not sexualized. Like many people, I have given someone a non-sexual hug or kiss on the cheek.” Kreisberg was officially fired following the sexual harassment investigation and never returned to television.

Kurt Sutter fired from Mayans M.C.

After finding great success with “Sons of Anarchy,” FX asked creator Kurt Sutter to expand the show’s universe with the 2018 spin-off “Mayans M.C.” But Sutter was fired by FX in 2019, while Season 2 was still airing, with news breaking after a letter Sutter sent to the show’s cast and crew was leaked to the press. In the letter, obtained by The Hollywood Reporter), Sutter said that Disney — which had acquired Fox and its shows like “Mayans M.C.” in 2019 — investigated him before the firing. 

“It’s been reported by writers, producers, cast and crew that my absence and subsequent behavior when there, has only created confusion, chaos, hostility and is perceived as abandonment,” Sutter wrote. “This morning I was fired by Dana Walden and John Landgraf for all the complaints levied against me. Not the way I wanted to end my 18 year relationship with FX. At least being fired for being an abrasive dick is on brand.” Sutter had a deal with FX, which had been extended when Disney bought Fox, but he didn’t produce more shows for the company after the firing.

Two weeks after the firing, Sutter spoke with Deadline about the incident, blaming his firing on Fox’s transition under Disney and his personal pushback against corporate changes, including his attempt to sneak a dark joke about Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse into a “Mayans M.C.” episode. “Had this gone down two or three years from now, when the transition was over and people were more settled, there may have been a different response to it,” he said. “I overestimated my value and underestimated the unf***ability of the mouse.” “Mayans M.C.” continued for three more seasons without Sutter.