“Futurama” Fans Boycott Hulu Revival Over John DiMaggio’s Recasting
by Emily Nagle
Good news, everyone – for the first time in nearly a decade, new episodes of Futurama will be arriving on Hulu.
Fans of the sci-fi comedy were initially thrilled to hear of the show’s return until Variety announced that while much of the original cast would be reprising their roles, John DiMaggio is not currently signed to return as alcoholic robot Bender. Now they’re protesting the show and lobbying for DiMaggio’s return, leading to #BenderGate trending on Twitter.
John DiMaggio thanked fans for the support on Twitter, writing, “Thanks for the concern and the props, everyone. I really appreciate it,” he posted Wednesday night. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you posted, but until then… CHEESE IT! #bendergate”.
The reason for DiMaggio’s absence from the credits? According to Entertainment Weekly, last year when 20th Television Animation and Hulu reached out to him, Katey Sagal, and Billy West to negotiate pay for the revival series, DiMaggio was dissatisfied with the pay, finding it to be inadequate relative to the success of the show. As the studio does not want to pay him more than Sagal and West, the casting for Bender is ongoing.
Although DiMaggio is not currently on board to return to “Futurama”, there is still hope for his return. He’s still willing to return as Bender, so long as his team and the studio can come to an agreement regarding his pay.
Production for the “Futurama” revival is set to begin this month, with a projected release date of 2023. Hulu ordered 20 episodes of the series revolving around pizza delivery boy Philip J. Fry, who tumbles into a cryogenic freezer and emerges 1,000 years later. From there, he works for his distant nephew Professor Hubert Farnsworth’s interplanetary delivery crew, where he meets quirky characters, which, in addition to Leela and Bender, include the crustacean-like Doctor Zoidberg and ditzy intern Amy.