The hotly antipcated Futurama reboot has officially cast Bender following a dispute over pay... and it would appear that the fans are getting exactly the outcome they'd been hoping for.
After some concerns that he wouldn't return, the one and only John DiMaggio has announced that he will be back to voice the foul-mouthed robot alongside the rest of his original castmates for Hulu's 20-episode Futurama revival.
“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,” DiMaggio said in a statement. “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!”
Fans were quick to criticize the Futurama revival earlier this month when they noticed that DiMaggio's name was the only notable absence from the cast list. The show's producers said at the time they were "hopeful" they could get the actor on board, but added they were prepared to recast him.
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For the last few weeks, DiMaggio has been keeping fans updated on the situation. Last month, he confirmed that the dispute was pay-related, revealing simply that he believes he (and the entire cast) deserve more.
“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,” DiMaggio said at the time. “Negotiations are a natural part of working in show business. Everyone has a different strategy and different boundaries… Some accept offers, some hold their ground."
Thankfully we can now put Bendergate behind us and focus on the next big issue facing the Futurama revival: how on Earth do they justify 20 new episodes of a show that had a perfect final episode?
Topics: TV And Film