Voice actor John DiMaggio is officially returning as Bender in the Futurama revival series. DiMaggio played Bender in the original show, which originally ran on FOX from 1999-2003, only to be canceled after four seasons. It was then picked up by Comedy Central with four films and two more seasons. Futurama was ultimately canceled in 2013, but the show has held a serious fanbase over the near decade it has been off the air.
Then in February, Hulu announced that Futurama would return for 20 more episodes set to be released some time next year. The original announcement came with the news that the voice actors for two of the lead characters Fry (Billy West) and Leela (Katey Sagal) would be reprising their roles, but DiMaggio was still negotiating with the studio for more competitive pay. It was rumored that Bender was going to be recast if an agreement wasn't soon reached. Fans of Futurama expressed their outrage over DiMaggio being missing from the reboot, with many taking to Twitter to unleash their opinions to Hulu. The internet dubbed the controversy #Bendergate, and DiMaggio lead and ed the campaign to reclaim his iconic role.
It seems as though all the campaigning and negotiation paid off, as it was announced by Deadline that DiMaggio would officially be returning for the Futurama reboot. Though no information has been released about the of the deal he made with 20th Century Animation, DiMaggio released a statement officially calling off #Bendergate. Read what he said below:
“I’M BACK, BABY! So damn grateful for the love and of fans and colleagues alike during this whole time (especially my wife, Kate), and I cannot wait to get back to work with my Futurama family. #Bendergate is officially over, so put it on the back of a shelf behind Xmas decorations, or maybe in that kitchen drawer with all of the other crap you put in there like old unusable crazy glue, or maybe even put it in a jar you save farts in. Whatever floats your boat, I don’t care, you get the picture. I’M BACK, BABY! BITE MY SHINY METAL ASS!”
The voice actor clarified in a previous statement that he deeply loves Bender, and that negotiating for better pay was a typical part of the entertainment industry. He explained that his choice to push for a higher wage was "about self-respect." Thankfully, DiMaggio was able to find a deal he was satisfied with, to the relief of fans and production alike. Matt Groening, the shows creator, said that "from the moment John DiMaggio auditioned last century, we knew we had our Bender." And after DiMaggio tweeted the news on his personal , fans were thrilled to hear that their beloved show would be whole once again.
With the principal cast all squared away, fans can now spend their time theorizing what the new season of Futurama holds. The show's last ending made for many opportunities to expand the series, so there is a lot to speculate on. Hulu has become known as a center point for adult cartoons in recent years, with shows like Archer and Bob's Burgers, so one can only hope and assume that the Futurama reboot is in good hands.
Source: Deadline