When it was announced last week that the beloved animated series Futurama would be returning (again) for a 20-episode run on Hulu, fans were quick to notice that famed voice actor John DiMaggio was not included on the list of returning cast members. Now, DiMaggio has posted an update on the situation.
The news of DiMaggio potentially sitting out of the Futurama revival was met with a lot of speculation and intense backlash from the fan base, with some fans calling for a boycott of the series if DiMaggio isn't included. In a statement to fans, DiMaggio cleared up his stance on the ongoing discussions about his potential return as Bender the robot for the Futurama revival at Hulu.
In the update posted to his personal Twitter account, DiMaggio wrote, "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. Everyone has a different strategy & different boundaries. Their 'price.' Some accept offers, some hold their ground." DiMaggio continued by writing, "Bender is part of my soul & nothing about this is meant 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 artist's time & talent." He finished out the statement by thanking his fans and saying that he's hoping for the best. In the meantime, he'll be in New Orleans shooting AMC's Interview with the Vampire adaptation.
DiMaggio is easily one of the most renowned and successful voice actors working in film and TV today. While he is perhaps best known for voicing the hard-drinking, foul-mouthed robot Bender on all seven seasons of Futurama, his other voice acting credits include Adventure time, Kim Possible, Samurai Jack, Netflix's animated series Disenchantment, and many, many more projects. The idea of Futurama without DiMaggio seems inconceivable, as Bender is not only a main character, but is basically the face of the show.
Many fans and entertainment outlets had suspected the issues surrounding DiMaggio's involvement came down to money. Voice actors are consistently underpaid and undervalued for their work, so it's not surprising that DiMaggio would take advantage of his star power to try to negotiate a better contract for both him and his co-stars. Hopefully, something can be worked out, otherwise the role of Bender is likely to be recast, which would put a real damper on the revival.
Original Futurama creators Matt Groening and David X. Cohen are set to return as executive producers for the revival, and much of the original cast will be featured, including Billy West, Katey Sagal, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr, and David Herman. The 20-episode run is expected to premiere on Hulu sometime in 2023.
Futurama seasons 1 to 7 are streaming on Hulu, and on Disney Plus outside the U.S.
Source: John DiMaggio | Twitter