futurama, it seems, can never die. Much like its protagonist, the 20th-century human Fry, it is simply frozen for years, only to be thawed in an older and alien world. Last month, the popular animated series was slated for a streaming revival on Hulu, with orders for 20 new episodes reuniting most of the original cast — the second such revival following the show’s 1999-2003 run, which ran from 2007-2013 was revived. Unfortunately, one big thing was missing: voice actor John DiMaggio, who played fan-favorite robot Bender.
After a month of speculation, what fans have dubbed the “#Bendergate” has come to an end – DiMaggio returns, and futurama As fans know, it will be back soon.
“#Bendergate is officially over”, DiMaggio said in a statement
Previously, DiMaggio said he didn’t rejoin the show at the time of its announcement out of “self-respect” as negotiations over pay were still ongoing. At the time, the actor said the animation industry “takes advantage of artists’ time and talent,” and said he believed both he and his peers deserved higher pay.
DiMaggio’s new statement does not address those initial complaints or how they were handled.
New episodes of futurama expected to debut on Hulu in 2023.