John DiMaggioofficially started recording the voice of Bender for theFuturamarevival, a.k.a.Futuramaseason 11, on April 1, 2022.
So, already it felt like someone was pulling his leg.
Yep, it was April Fools' Day.
Leela, Bender, Fry, and Dr. Zoidberg are back in ‘Futurama’ season 11.Futurama ™ & © 20th Television
The fans agreed: you’ve got the option to’t have Bender without DiMaggio.
“But I’m happy to be back on the show,” he adds.
“I’m not knocking it…
Nibbler in ‘Futurama’ season 11.Futurama ™ & © 20th Television
It’s just great to get to work with these people again, and I’m grateful for it.
It’s always exciting to get back on this bike every time.
It’s just like, these are new tires.”
Amy and Kif return to where they left their baby tadpoles in ‘Futurama’ season 11.Futurama ™ & © 20th Television
Then there came fourFuturamamovies released on home video, followed by new seasons on Comedy Central.
“It hasn’t changed!
We’ve got the pedigree on our show.
We got the smartest writers in the business.
Mr. Patric Verrone for crying out loud.
“Bender’s that Bender in me,” he says.
“When I started this, I was really alone.
Like Bender, pretty out of control.
But now, Bender’s like my kid.
I still love it.
I still cherish it.
He’s like a best friend.
So, it’s a real gift to be able to do this and be better.”
And just to prove it, he starts belting one of the character’s gibberish scat tunes without hesitation.
“That’s always at the tip of my tongue.
It’s always right there,” he says.
“It’s hard to replicate.
After I die, they’re gonna have to do a big autopsy for science.
They’re gonna have to figure out how it worked.”
“It was heartbreaking for many reasons,” DiMaggio admits.
“Bittersweet, frustrating.
People don’t know how long we had been [going] back and forth.
People just assumed it was when it was announced until I said yes.
That’s not the case.”
People were not coming in to read for it.
It made it very difficult for our poor casting director.
I’ve apologized to her, but it was tough.
DiMaggio reiterates how stoked he is to have the matter resolved and to be back for theFuturamarevival.
“There’s always something that’s new [with the show],” he says.
“The longer you have this universe, the more there is to do within it.”
Disney did not respond to EW’s request for comment.
