Bender Voice Actor John DiMaggio Finally Joins ‘Futurama’ Revival: ‘I’m Back, Baby!’
#BenderGate is finally over as Futurama voice actor John DiMaggio has officially joined the upcoming Hulu revival of the Matt Groening animated series.
The return of Futurama was announced in February, but fans were shocked to find that DiMaggio’s name was not among the list of returning original cast members. DiMaggio, who voices the fan-favorite, beer-guzzling robot Bender, stated that he had not signed onto the show as he felt that he and the rest of the cast deserved higher pay.
Those issues appear to have been cleared up because it was officially announced on Monday that DiMaggio was on board. “I’M BACK, BABY! So damn grateful for the love and support 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,” DiMaggio said in a statement (via Variety).
He continued: “#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!”
It was previously announced that original cast members Billy West, Katey Sagal, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr, and David Herman would all be returning for the series, which Hulu has picked up for 20 episodes. This marks the second time the beloved show has been revived since it first launched on Fox in 1999.
“From the moment John DiMaggio auditioned last century, we knew we had our Bender,” Groening said in a statement of his own. “So congrats to everyone at Futurama. We’re all back, baby!”
“John DiMaggio may be a great robot, but he’s also a great human being,” added the show’s executive producer David X. Cohen. “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, Seasons 1-10, Streaming, Hulu
