The Simpsons has officially reintroduced Apu back into the animated series after a nearly decade long absence, and the showrunner behind it all teases we’ll see much more of him in future episodes. Before being at the center of a major controversy behind his portrayal, Apu was one of the most important side characters in The Simpsons overall. He had some of the key focus episodes outside of the Simpson family themselves, so it was pretty noticeable when he suddenly disappeared for a nine year stint.
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That’s why The Simpsons Season 38 got a lot of attention with the most recent episode as it not only fully brought Apu back with his first speaking role since 2017, but also introduced new voice actor Sunil Maholtra taking over the role moving forward. Addressing the recast with Variety, The Simpsons showrunner Matt Selman confirmed that fans will be seeing much more of Apu moving forward, “We’re excited by what Sunil has already brought to the role, and look forward to seeing more of Apu in the future.”
The Simpsons Teases More of Apu After Recasting Role
As detailed by Variety, Matt Selman confirmed that Apu and his wife Manjula (who has also been recast with Janina Gavankar taking over the role) will be appearing on the show more often now that the Nahasapeemapetilon family and Kwik-E-Mart location have been reintegrated back into the animated series in full. “We love this character, and wanted to bring him back in a smart, ‘Simpsons’-y way that allowed him to evolve,” the showrunner stated. “We’re excited by what Sunil has already brought to the role, and look forward to seeing more of Apu in the future.”
The Simpsons fully brought Apu back into the series with “Treehouse of Horror Presents: The Revengening.” First it was revealed that Apu had been openly killed and ignored by the rest of the town (along with some other missing faces), only to then be a nightmare that Apu had been having. It was the series directly addressing the fact that following Hank Azaria retiring from the role following a controversy over the character’s portrayal of his Hindu origins, The Simpsons had retired Apu from the series overall.
What Does This Mean for Apu’s Future in The Simpsons?
Speaking about the casting process, new Apu voice actor Sunil Maholtra explained that he worked closely with Selman and the rest of the team on the character’s portrayal for the episode and beyond, “It was the beginning of a deeply collaborative experience that I hope is equally satisfying for longtime fans of ‘The Simpsons’ and for other South Asian kids who, like me, stopped watching at some point along the way.” The episode itself further emphasized Apu’s return with Homer once again acknowledging him as one of his best friends.
This was a move that the team at The Simpsons did not take lightly. When Azaria retired from the role in 2020, he explained that the team at the series just “froze” at the thought of how to move forward with the character following raised concerns about the character’s portrayal of race. This led to many unspeaking background appearances since 2017, so Apu’s return is likely also going to come with a return to prominence from the character who was at the center of some of the series’ biggest events of the past.
What are you hoping to see from Apu’s return in The Simpsons? How are you feeling about his new voice actor so far? Let us know your thoughts about it in the comments!
HT – Variety
