One of the big news of the week, of the month, of the year, has been the announcement that Futurama, the iconic second great series by Matt Groening after The Simpsons, would return in 2023.
Fans expressed their excitement at news they had been waiting for years with unrestrained anticipation.
However, their joy was short-lived, because it didn’t take long for a serious problem to arise with this return of Futurama: John DiMaggio , the actor who voices Bender in the original version of the series, has not signed on to participate in the revival.
DiMaggio is one of the best-known voice actors in the United States, and has been working in the industry since the mid-’90s. He also voices King Zog in (Dis)enchantment, for example.
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The news that the Futurama showrunners are looking for a new actor to voice the mythical robot, with a record similar to that of DiMaggio, has unleashed a wave of criticism.
Some fans are already calling for a boycott of the series that, in the United States, will arrive on Hulu. In Spain we assume that he will do the same in Disney+ STAR.
Imagining Bender in the original version without the voice of John DiMaggio seems quite impossible, especially when there is no force majeure.
In Spain, for example, Homer Simpson still sounds tremendously strange to many of us, despite the fact that Carlos Ysbert has been voicing the character for many more years than Carlos Revilla, after the death of the original actor.
Theories point to a salary dispute between John DiMaggio and the Futurama showrunners, although DiMaggio’s partner, Billy West, who voices Fry, says that ” thinks he’s looking for the right pen.”
John DiMaggio himself has shared a post to reassure people, thanking his fans for their interest and concern and saying he’ll keep them posted.
Do you think Futurama will return without John DiMaggio voicing Bender the Offender?