Futurama: John DiMaggio Reveals Hulu Originally Planned to Use Guest Stars for Bender

Hulu is actively working on the return of Futurama with virtually all of its original voice cast; that includes John DiMaggio, the beloved voice behind Futurama’s Bender who previously held out of the reboot due to a push to get a bigger payday for the reboot. Soon enough after, the actor eventually boarded the project. Now, DiMaggio himself has revealed what the streamer was planning to do if he didn’t return. According to the actor, the streamer planned to feature an ensemble of guest actors in the role, with Bender’s voice changing episode after episode.

DiMaggio made the reveal Saturday at Phoenix Fan Fusion, where he also told fans his negotiation holdout didn’t end up resulting in a higher pay for his return.

“People are like, ‘I’m so glad you got more money!’” DiMaggio (via /Film). “I didn’t get more money. But what I did get was a lot of respect, and a lot of head nods from people who are like, ‘Yo bro, I see you and thank you.’”

It’s unclear just what made DiMaggio change his mind, but he confirmed he would return for the reboot in March.

“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,” DiMaggio shared in a new statement.

“#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 A-S!”

DiMaggio returns alongside Billy West, Katey Sagal, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr, and David Herman. The show’s co-creator Matt Groening also celebrated the actor’s return with a short message, 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!”

As for new Futurama, 20 new episodes are currently in the works for a release on Hulu next year. How do you feel about John DiMaggio returning for the new episodes of Futurama along with the rest of the original cast? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments!