Voice actor John DiMaggio, who gave life to the character of Bender in Futurama, has officially boarded Hulu’s revival of the fan-favorite comedy series.
DiMaggio confirmed the news with a statement expressing his gratitude for his fans, family and colleagues during #Bendergate:
“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. “#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!”
“From the moment John DiMaggio auditioned last century, we knew we had our Bender,” series creator Matt Groening said. “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,” “Futurama” executive producer David X. Cohen also shared. “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!”
Hulu announced the 20-episode Futurama revival in February with all the original cast members — Billy West, Katey Sagal, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr and David Herman — except for DiMaggio. He later explained that his initial reason for not joining the revival was because he felt like he and the rest of the cast deserved to receive higher pay than the offer.
The Futurama revival is scheduled to premiere in 2023.
Elsewhere in entertainment, Patrick Stewart seemingly confirmed his return as Professor X in Doctor Strange 2.
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