Voice actor John DiMaggio is officially back on board to voice Bender in the upcoming Futurama revival. DiMaggio had voiced the iconic rude-mouthed robot since 1999, alongside his fellow co-stars Katey Sagal, Billy West, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Phil LaMarr, David Herman, and Lauren Tom. Fans were initially outraged after Hulu’s official announcement of a Futurama revival did not include DiMaggio in the cast.
The original series ran on FOX between 1999 to 2003, before Comedy Central acquired the show for a further two seasons between 2008 and 2013. Revealing plans for a further 20 episodes of Futurama on Hulu earlier in February, fans quickly took issue with the omission of DiMaggio in the casting list, which otherwise seemed to include most of the original stars. Responding to fan outrage and the use of #Bendergate across social media, DiMaggio stated that "Bender is part of my soul" but added that his absence was "about self-respect" and indicated that Hulu was not offering fair enough pay for his time.
Now, following confirmation that an agreement had been reached, DiMaggio took to Twitter to celebrate the news. Responding in true Bender style and echoing the official announcement of a revival, DiMaggio wrote: "I’M BACK, BABY!" His post coincided with the release of an official statement shared by numerous outlets. Check out DiMaggio's tweet below:
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Public response to the prospect of DiMaggio’s absence from the series perhaps renewed 20th Century Animation’s negotiation efforts. Demonstrating that the Futurama fanbase remained alive and strong, it seemed apparent that support for the revival could dwindle if the voice of Bender was recast. Perhaps bolstering his position and backing up his requests for a better deal, DiMaggio obviously managed to convince the studio, though details on the agreement remain private.
As the home of adult animated shows such as Archer, Bob’s Burgers and Duncanville, audiences can perhaps rest assured that Hulu will put in the work to make its Futurama revival a success. With the original cast now fully on board, it could also be cause for optimism that the plans pitched by creator Matt Groening and David X Cohen have potential. Exactly how Futurama intends to pick itself up remains a mystery following the finale of season 7, which provided both a satisfying ending and also the means to completely overhaul the show. Regardless, fans will surely be thrilled in the knowledge that their beloved robot Bender is returning with his original foul-mouthed voice intact.
Source: John DiMaggio