Good news, everyone — “Bendergate” has come to an end. Shortly after Hulu announced that it was reviving Futurama with all-new episodes to be released on the streaming service in 2023, Bender voice actor John DiMaggio revealed that he had not signed on to reprise his role as the foul-mouthed robot. The rest of the starring cast was on board, but DiMaggio had insisted that he wouldn’t return unless he was compensated accordingly.
On Tuesday, The Hollywood Reporter reported that DiMaggio had worked out a deal with the Futurama revival team to officially return as Bender. Now that he can comfortably slip back into Bender mode, the actor made sure to do just that with an official statement confirming that he’ll be back in the Hulu revival.
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“From the moment John DiMaggio auditioned last century, we knew we had our Bender,” said Futurama co-creator Matt Groening. “So congrats to everyone at Futurama. We’re all back, baby!”
Co-creator David X. Cohen added, “John DiMaggio may be a great robot, but he’s also a great human being. Not many people or machines can say that. For the fourth time, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thrill to be back with our entire original cast and the phenomenal animators of Rough Draft Studios.”
Futurama Will Be Revived With the Full Original Cast
Fox
John DiMaggio returning as Bender means the Futurama revival has its complete original cast. The revival also brings back fellow series regulars Billy West, Katey Sagal, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr, and David Herman. Hulu’s revival consists of 20 episodes set to arrive in 2023.
Featuring artwork similar to The Simpsons and also premiering on Fox in 1999, Futurama is set in the 31st century. It follows professional slacker Philip J. Fry along with his new friends in the future, including the one-eyed Leela and robot Bender. Fox initially canceled it before it was later revived at Comedy Central.
You can watch classic episodes of Futurama on Hulu until the revival is released next year.
