It’s now official that the entire original cast of Futurama has all agreed to reprise their roles for Hulu’s forthcoming revival. John DiMaggio was the last cast member to hold out to return for the latest version of Matt Groening’s series. Although he had been campaigning for more money, it wasn’t just for himself, but for the entire cast as well.
Mr. DiMaggio had issued a lengthy post on social media, shortly after the revival announcement, where his cause took on the name #bendergate.
“I’ve been thinking about everything that’s been going on these past months and just to be clear, I don’t think that only I deserve to be paid more. I think the entire cast does. Negotiations are a natural part of working in show business.”
Update: #bendergate pic.twitter.com/tBG7d9hQ3R
— John DiMaggio (@TheJohnDiMaggio) February 16, 2022
Well, it seems that from fans to series creators Matt Groening and David X. Cohen, there was a wide range of support for John. “From the moment John DiMaggio auditioned last century, we knew we had our Bender,” said Groening.
“John DiMaggio may be a great robot, but he’s also a great human being,” added Cohen as he also expressed his support for Mr. DiMaggio.
It didn’t take long for John DiMaggio to get back into character either, as he quickly issued an official statement.
“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,” said DiMaggio.
“#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!”
Matt Groening also added, “So congrats to everyone at ‘Futurama.’ We’re all back, baby!”
Futurama is set to premiere on Hulu sometime in 2023.