John DiMaggio, the original voice actor for Bender in Futurama, is officially joining the revival series following an outpouring of fan support.
Last month, it was announced that the futuristic animated show would be returning for brand new episodes a decade after it previously ended.
However, amid the excitement, there was a huge backlash after it emerged that John, who first started voicing Bender in 1999, might not rejoin the cast.
The actor took to Twitter to emphasise the importance of demanding adequate pay for the voice talent, while also stressing how the industry ‘takes advantage of artist’s time & talent’.
However, in a new update, it has been revealed that he has reached an agreement to be a part of the cast, as he celebrated returning as the foul-mouthed robot by saying: ‘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,’ he said in a statement obtained by Variety.
‘#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 c**p 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 A**!’
There’s no mistaking John’s unquestionable voice behind Bender’s heavy-drinking, cigar-smoking, lewd ways, so fans will undoubtedly be ecstatic by his comeback.
Futurama creator Matt Groening commemorated John’s return by saying: ‘From the moment John DiMaggio auditioned last century, we knew we had our Bender. So congrats to everyone at Futurama. We’re all back, baby!’
Executive producer David X Cohen added: ‘John DiMaggio may be a great robot, but he’s also a great human being. Not many people or machines can say that.
‘For the fourth time, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thrill to be back with our entire original cast and the phenomenal animators of Rough Draft Studios.’
Other returning cast members include Billy West as Fry, Professor Farnsworth and Zoidberg, Katey Sagal as Leela, Tress MacNeille as Mom, Maurice LaMarche as Kif, Lauren Tom as Amy, Phil LaMarr as Hermes and David Herman as Scruffy.
Futurama begins with Fry, a pizza delivery worker from 1999, accidentally becoming frozen and waking up 1,000 years later, arriving in a future that leaves him mind-boggled.
He discovers a relative of his, Professor Farnsworth, and joins the crew of the professor’s company, Planet Express.
Futurama is available to watch on Disney Plus.
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