Hulu Had A Back-Up Plan For Its Futurama Reboot In Case John DiMaggio Didn’t Return – /Film

The plan, then, was to cast a notable celebrity to play Bender in every episode of “Futurama.” While that idea would be novel, it brings up a lot of questions. Would the guest actor reinterpret Bender to match their personality? Would Bender behave differently depending on who played him? And would the guest stars do their own voices, or would they try to do their best impersonations of John DiMaggio? If the “Futurama” showrunners hired a talented mimic like, say, Kevin Pollak, what would be the difference? 

One might be reminded of the time on “The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson” and the voice of his robot skeleton sidekick, Geoff Peterson. Peterson, built by the late Grant Imahara, was voiced and operated by Josh Robert Thompson. For a spell in 2011, Thompson became unavailable, and Peterson was played by the likes of Alfred Molina, Larry King, Paula Poundstone, Jason Schwartzman, Lauren Graham, and several others. Each one played Geoff for one episode, and not everyone seemed in on the joke. It was hilarious. Perhaps the producers of “Futurama” were “Late Late Show” fans. I can’t imagine, however, that it would be easy for DiMaggio’s co-stars to develop a rapport with the guests. 

At the same convention, DiMaggio also talked briefly about asking for more money from Disney, the parent company of Hulu which is overseeing the latest “Futurama” revival. He said asking for a raise was like trying to get blood from a stone. Eventually, he indicated, he swallowed his pride. It’s a good thing too, as it’s great to have DiMaggio back.