After a few weeks of uncertainty, Hulu has worked out a deal with John DiMaggio, securing his return to the iconic role of Bender for the Futurama reboot.
Back in February, fans were delighted to hear that Hulu would be reviving (for the fourth time!) Futurama with nearly the entire cast returning for their roles. However, John DiMaggio, who is one of the most prolific voice actors working today, had not hammered out a contract with Hulu yet. DiMaggio cited a pay dispute as his main reason, arguing that he (along with the rest of the cast) were not being compensated fairly for their talents.
The dispute quickly caught the intention of the internet and #bendergate was born. Fans couldn't imagine a Futurama without Bender or even worse, recasting to another voice actor. The dispute also brought up a much larger issue with voice actors coming to the defence of DiMaggio stating that there is a widespread industry problem of valuing voice actors less than their live-action counterparts.
Thankfully, we can put this whole ugly mess behind us because DiMaggio and Hulu have agreed to a new deal. DiMaggio tweeted:
"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!"
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The Futurama Reboot is set to release on Hulu sometime in 2023, but don't worry fellow Canadians, it will be released on Disney Plus in Canada, which is where the rest of the series currently lives.
Featured image: Vanity Fair via Youtube.com
