“Futurama” is once again whole.
John DiMaggio will be returning for an upcoming revival of the animated series on Hulu.
“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. #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,” DiMaggio said in an official statement. “Whatever floats your boat, I don’t care, you get the picture. I’M BACK, BABY! BITE MY SHINY METAL ASS!”
When it was announced early last month that “Futurama,” Fox’s cult favorite sci-fi comedy would be returning for new episodes on Hulu, it came with a large caveat.
While most of the original cast, including Billy West, Katey Segal, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr and David Herman would be returning, DiMaggio, who memorably voiced lovable boozehound robot Bender, had not yet finalized his deal. The announcement came with a mention of a cast read-through of the first scripts happening soon and a note that the read-throughs would be happening without DiMaggio.
In the days that followed, DiMaggio took to Twitter, saying that “nothing about this is meant to be disrespectful to the fans or my ‘Futurama’ family. It’s about self-respect. And honestly, being tired of an industry that’s become far too corporate and takes advantage of an artist’s time and talent.” (Keep in mind that this is also during an ongoing debate about compensation for creatives who are a part of animated features and television series being paid what they’re due.)
“Futurama” creator Matt Groening added: “From the moment John DiMaggio auditioned last century, we knew we had our Bender. So congrats to everyone at ‘Futurama.’ We’re all back, baby!”
The Hollywood Reporter first reported the news of DiMaggio’s rejoining the cast.
