'Futurama' Renewed Again But One Fan-Favorite Might Not Be Returning

Futurama fans can celebrate as Matt Groening's classic cartoon has been revived yet again, this time by Hulu.

There's a dose of bad news to be wary of though as the entire main voice cast are set to return except for John DiMaggio, who has been tweeting about his character with the hashtag "Bendergate."

Hulu announced the revival on Wednesday, and also announced how many episodes there'd be, along with a vague release date. Before we get into the current situation with DiMaggio and Hulu, here's everything we know about the upcoming season of Futurama.

Futurama on Hulu

Hulu announced their intention to revive Futurama yet again by tweeting a picture of Bender holding a banner which reads "We're back, baby!" The simple image featured the Hulu logo alongside Groening's synonymous signature.

The next season of the show would officially be the eighth season and will feature 20 all-new episodes. The new season is expected to start on Hulu in 2023.

Original creators Groening and David X. Cohen have spoken about their joy at Futurama's revival. In a statement, Cohen said: "I'm thrilled to have another chance to think about the future... or really anything other than the present."

Groening added: "It's a true honor to announce the triumphant return of Futurama one more time before we get canceled abruptly again."

The majority of the voice cast will be returning to what is Futurama's third platform after Fox and Comedy Central. Billy West and Katey Sagal will reprise their roles as Fry and Leela, while the supporting cast who voice multiple characters will return too. This includes Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr and David Herman.

While many of the fan-favorites are returning, there is currently one notable exception.

Is Bender Returning to Futurama?

As it stands, John DiMaggio is not confirmed to be returning to the role of Bender on Futurama but talks are ongoing.

The voice actor spoke publicly about his current absence from the cast list on Twitter. He spent Wednesday evening retweeting messages of support people had expressed for him online. Most of them implying that DiMaggio must return as the shiny metal robot Bender, with some calling him "irreplaceable."

Eventually, late on Wednesday night, DiMaggio wrote a short tweet to give fans an update on the current situation. He wrote: "Thanks for the concern and the props, everyone. I really appreciate it. Don't worry, I'll keep you posted, but until then... CHEESE IT! #bendergate"

DiMaggio currently has a number of voice acting roles on the go, including Groening's other project Disenchantment, which just launched its fourth part on Netflix. He also voices Jake in Adventure Time and Marcus Fenix in the Gears of War video game series.