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Futurama, the iconic animated series, will return as a revival on the popular streaming service Hulu. Amidst the news of its revival, actor John DiMaggio has revealed he will not be bringing back his signature voice role as Bender, the foul-mouthed robot, in the upcoming cult animated revival series for Hulu.
The actor took to Twitter on Tuesday to share,
“Bender is part of my soul and nothing about this is supposed 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 artists’ time and talent.”
Futurama: Voice recast
John DiMaggio is not returning as Bender
The actor reportedly got an offer in-line with that for fellow leads Billy West as Fry and Katey Sagal as Leela. DiMaggio felt that the offer was not competitive on the basis of the success, fame, and recognition the original show received. Hence, the actor countered the offer after which the negotiations were halted and the revival of the classic animated series was declared without him in it, with the the role of Bender getting recast.
DiMaggio further wrote,
“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. Everyone has a different strategy and different boundaries. Their ‘price’. Some accept offers, some hold their ground.”
Following the announcement of the animated show's return, the actor retweeted heartfelt reactions from fans who supported the actor and asked the production house to bring him back. After showing gratitude to everyone, DiMaggio gave viewers some hope that the issue with the production house could be resolved. He said,
“Still hoping for the best”
The voice cast of Futurama
After negotiating for months, Hulu has finally made a deal for twenty new episodes of the classic animated sci-fi comedy series to launch in 2023 on the streaming platform. Alongside Groening and Cohen, the majority of the show's ensemble voice cast, including Katey Sagal, Billy West, Tress MacNeille, Lauren Tom, Maurice LaMarche, David Herman, and Phil LaMarr, will return for the revival.
Futurama, has been created by Matt Groening and further developed by Groening and David X. The series will arrive in 2023, exclusively on Hulu.
