After a lengthy round of back and forth, John DiMaggio, the voice behind Futurama’s iconic robot Bender, will be returning for the show’s reboot on Hulu after all.
In a statement given to Variety, the star revealed that he has finalized his deal to make a return to the role, after more than three weeks of discussion.
“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.
“#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!”
When the reboot was announced, it wasn’t immediately clear if DiMaggio would be interested in coming back. Not long after that, the voice actor took to social media sharing a message on why exactly he hadn’t yet closed a deal for his return.
In the statement, DiMaggio explained that he felt that not only he but the whole cast of Futurama should be paid more for their involvement in the reboot.
It isn’t clear how discussions went after this or if the star’s demands were met, but fans can relax knowing the voice of Bender will be the same when the series makes its long-awaited return.
