Good news, everyone! John DiMaggio is returning as loveable old Bender!
When Hulu announced that “Futurama” would return for 20 more episodes in early February, fans were noticeably concerned when John revealed that he hadn’t yet officially rejoined the cast due to a contract dispute.
John DiMaggio Addresses #BenderGate: ‘It’s About Self-Respect’
Update: #bendergate pic.twitter.com/tBG7d9hQ3R
— John DiMaggio (@TheJohnDiMaggio) February 16, 2022
In a long Twitter message, John revealed the reason why he had yet to renew his contact. On February 15, he posted a long message to Twitter titled “Update: #bendergate.”
“Hi,” he began. “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,” he continued. “Everyone has a different strategy & different boundaries. Their ‘price.’ Some affect offers, some hold their ground.”
Instagram / thejohndimaggio“Bender is part of my soul and nothing about this is supposed to be disrespectful to the fans or my Futurama family,” he continued. “It’s about self-respect. And honestly, being tired of an industry that’s become far too corporate and takes advantage of artists’ time and talent.”
“Look, I wish I could give you every detail so you would understand, but it’s not my place. Thanks again for the love everyone. Still hoping for the best,” he concluded. “In the meantime, I’ll be in New Orleans shooting ‘Interview with a Vampire’ for AMC – and very grateful to be! Thanks.”
Although a few fans commented “Greed over fan service,” other fans pointed out that John was trying to improve the industry for voice actors everywhere and supported his position.
#BenderGate Is Now Over – John DiMaggio Will Return!
“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.” – @TheJohnDiMaggio pic.twitter.com/PS95kHJ1pa
— IGN (@IGN) March 1, 2022
In a statement, John said in the classic words of Bender, “I’M BACK, BABY! So d— 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.”
The crew here doesn’t look happy, but they are.#bendergate is over. No need to kill all humans.@TheJohnDiMaggio pic.twitter.com/fVuZBdAKLx
— John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) March 2, 2022
Many fans celebrated the news with a plethora of Futurama memes.
How we all heard ithttps://t.co/Pvt3XIkWYu
— Kuro_snow (@Kuro_snow) March 1, 2022
— Russell Foster A New Texas (@RussellFosterTX) March 1, 2022
How were they gonna do this without you?? Answer: couldn’t be done. Hope you got paid my guy pic.twitter.com/mMPfI1iCO0
— Childish Lambineau (@PackerDrunk) March 2, 2022
“Have you ever tried simply refusing a role, sitting down with unreasonable executives and hitting them?” pic.twitter.com/xM1EWRIUXM
— HC (@ZakuFan0079) March 1, 2022
— Yuvi Rathour #TheCupheadShow (@RathourYuvi) March 1, 2022
The official Hulu account also commented on his post, writing “NEAT!”
Who Else Is Returning To Hulu’s ‘Futurama’ Reboot?
Instagram“The Simpsons” creator Matt Groening and David X. Cohen will return to create the new series. Billy West will return as the voice of Fry and Katey Sagal will return to voice Leela. The ensemble cast of Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr, and David Herman are all expected to make a return.
At the time of the announcement, fans immediately noticed that John DiMaggio’s name was not among the familiar Planet Express crew members expected to make a return. Multiple outlets reported that DiMaggio was involved in a contract dispute. According to Deadline, DiMaggio felt “the proposal was not competitive based on the success and name recognition of the original series.”
Fortunately, it appears that the contract dispute is over and Bender is going to make a return for the 20-episode season, which debut sometime in 2023.
Instagram“From the moment John DiMaggio auditioned last century, we knew we had our Bender,” Groening said in a statement. “So congrats to everyone at Futurama. We’re all back, baby!”
Cohen added, “John DiMaggio may be a great robot, but he’s also a great human being. 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.”
