Bender Voice Actor Is Returning For Futurama Reboot

Voice actor John Dimaggo has announced he will reprise his role in the Futurama Reboot.

The news comes after Hulu announced they would be reviving the adult animated series with 20 brand-new episodes.

Initially, it was unclear whether Dimaggo would be joining the Futurama reunion as he’s openly said on Twitter he wishes that he and the entire cast could be paid more for their work.

“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,” he previously said.

“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.”

With Dimaggio's possible absence from the show, fans were left sceptical about the new series and uncertain if the production could recapture the show's magic.

But after some lengthy negotiations, the 53-year-old voice actor is now onboard The Planet Express and will reprise the role of the chain-smoking robot.

And fans have gone wild for the revelation.

Animal Antic wrote via Twitter: “After three weeks of discussions, Deadline has announced that John DiMaggio will be returning to play Bender in the Hulu revival of Futurama. This makes me very happy to see as he was a major player to the show and couldn't be recast.”

Creator Matt Groening and developer/executive producer David X. Cohen will also be joining the reboot, along with original cast members including Billy West, Katey Sagal, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr and David Herman.

The iconic animated series follows 25-year-old Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1,000 years and brought into the 31st century. He begins working at an interplanetary delivery company alongside cyborg Lyla and Bender. 

The first episode aired on Fox in 1999, and the series ran to 2003. In 2009, Comedy Central picked the show up and ran it from 2010 to 2013.

So, it’s almost been 10 years since Futurama has graced our small screens.

Groening, who is also the brilliant mind of The Simpsons, told Variety he’s hugely excited about the show’s return.

"It's a true honour to announce the triumphant return of Futurama one more time before we get cancelled again.”

The reboot is set to drop in 2023, and although that might seem light-years away, you can stream the entire series on Hulu until then.