#Bendergate is over: Futurama will be returning with John DiMaggio

FuturamaYou can’t lose it, as they say. Like its 20th century protagonist Fry, it freezes and then is brought out of the freezer in another, more strange world. Last month, the beloved animated series was set for a streaming revival on Hulu, with 20 new episodes ordered reuniting most of the original cast — the second such revival after the show’s initial 1999-2003 run was revived from 2007-2013. John DiMaggio, the voice actor who played Bender, was not included in this streaming revival.

After a month of speculation, the situation fans dubbed “#Bendergate” has come to an end — DiMaggio is returning, and Futurama It will be returning soon, as its fans are sure.

“#Bendergate is officially over,” said DiMaggio in a statement, “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!”

Previously, DiMaggio had said he had not rejoined the show at the time of its announcement out of “self-respect”, as negotiations over pay were still underway. At the time, the actor said the animation industry “takes advantage of artists’ time and talent,” saying that he believed that both he and his fellow cast members deserved to be paid more.

DiMaggio’s new statement doesn’t make any reference to these initial complaints or how they were addressed.

The new episodes of Futurama They are likely to make their debut on Hulu by 2023.