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Futurama Fans Are Relieved and Excited as John DiMaggio Confirms Return as Bender


The gang would not be complete without Bender and with the series revival of Futurama on Hulu, after almost a month of wait, fans are finally relieved and excited as John DiMaggio confirms his return as the shiny metal robot everyone loves. With Fry, Leela, Hermes, and the others, the adventure is back on track with the group now on deck.

Earlier this year, Hulu announced that Futurama will be revived as a series with 20-episode lined up on the streaming platform and almost all the cast members would be returning with Billy West as Fry, Katey Segal as Leela, along with Trees MacNellie, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr, David Herman, and Maurice LaMarche as their contracts were given a green light.

However, fans were upset when John DiMaggio, the one behind the iconic voice of Bender, was not included in the list, even having an option to recast Bender if they do not meet minds for the contract. Apparently, DiMaggio rejected to first offer to come back because in his negotiation to reprise the role, he wanted the whole cast to be paid more.

DiMaggio has been very open about the issue and he shows how much he loves Futurama dearly and how Bender meant a lot for him but he wanted to spark some change in the industry wherein the voice actors deserve more. Fans called on social media, making the #JohnDiMaggioIsBender trend. After weeks of waiting, it seems that DiMaggio has finally reached a deal with the producers of the show.

Related: 10 Best Episodes Of Futurama

John DiMaggio tweeted his excitement as he would be reprising his role as Bender in the series revival of Futurama and he announced it in a very Bender way, saying, “I’m Back, Baby.” Fans are quick to notice and replied with their favorite renditions of Bender saying the line. Here are some fan reactions to DiMaggio’s return as Bender.

DiMaggio has given the voice of Bender since the inception of the show in 1999 when it first aired on Fox where Futurama has five seasons until its cancellation in 2003. It, then, had a rerun of its episodes on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim from 2003 to 2007. The show got a new home on Comedy Central from 2008 until it closed the curtains in 2013. Now, for its comeback, it would be on Hulu.

Futurama is eyeing a comeback in 2023 on Hulu.

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