Earlier in February many people were left scratching their heads at the announcement that the popular science fiction themed animated sitcom Futurama would be returning. Not necessarily at the show returning, but at the fact that the character of Bender, arguably the most popular character from the show, was apparently going to be re-cast as the studio and bender’s original voice actor, John DiMaggio, hadn’t reached a deal for him to return.

The news that he wouldn’t be returning to the role caused the term #BENDERGATE to trend on twitter, with John DiMaggio championing the term and encouraging his followers to use the term. 

But all of the support for Bendergate has apparently paid off as John DiMaggio has officially inked a deal for his triumphant return as the foul mouthed drunken robot that everybody loves. He made the following statement after the news broke:

“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. #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!“

Supposedly the whole debacle was over DiMaggio thinking that he and his colleagues weren’t being paid fairly for them to return to the show. Hopefully they have reached a deal where all parties are satisfied.

The new season of Futurama is set to premier exclusively on Hulu in 2023 with a total of 20 episodes.

Source: Variety