Credit: Unsplash
Last month, Hulu announced the revival of the beloved animated series Futurama with a new season featuring most of the original cast. However, fans were surprised by the absence of John DiMaggio, the voice behind Bender the robot. It was revealed that DiMaggio initially declined to join the reboot due to payment concerns for himself and the rest of the cast, sparking a supportive Twitter campaign called “Bendergate.”
Fortunately, DiMaggio and the network have now reached an agreement, and he has confirmed his return as Bender this week.
“I’M BACK, BABY! Grateful for the love and support from fans and colleagues, especially my wife, Kate. Excited to reunite with my ‘Futurama’ family,” DiMaggio expressed in a statement. “#Bendergate is officially over, so stash it away like old crazy glue or in that kitchen drawer with random items. I’M BACK, BABY! BITE MY SHINY METAL ASS!”
“I’M BACK, BABY! Grateful for the love and support from fans and colleagues, especially my wife, Kate. Excited to reunite with my Futurama family. #Bendergate is officially over.” – @TheJohnDiMaggio pic.twitter.com/PS95kHJ1pa
— IGN (@IGN) March 1, 2022
The production team expressed their happiness at the resolution and their eagerness to collaborate with DiMaggio and the cast once again. Series creator Matt Groening remarked, “When John DiMaggio auditioned ages ago, we knew he was our Bender. Congrats to everyone at ‘Futurama.’ We’re all back, baby!”
“John DiMaggio is a fantastic robot and an exceptional human being,” added executive producer David X. Cohen. “It’s a rare pleasure to reunite with our original cast and the brilliant animators at Rough Draft Studios for the fourth time!”
