Hulu just announced Futurama fans would finally get to go back to the World of Tomorrow. With original series stars Billy West as Philip J. Fry (and many others), Katey Sagal as Leela, Tress MacNeille as Mom, Maurice LaMarche as Kif (and others), Lauren Tom as Amy Wong, Phil LaMarr as Hermes Conrad, and David Herman as Lord Nibbler. Notably, however, one voice actor was missing from the list of returning names attached to the Hulu reboot, John DiMaggio. The voice actor created the iconic Bender Bending Rodriguez, voicing the shiny metal a** of the science fiction animated comedy series for over 120 episodes. At the time, fans were told negotiations were at a standstill, but the studio still hoped the voice actor would return. However, if negotiations fell through, Hulu would recast the role. Given a new statement from DiMaggio, it seems that the latter has come to pass, and negotiations have broken down (although he doesn't offer a piece of definitive information on the matter yet).

In a tweet, DiMaggio posted the following message, "Hi, I've been thinking about everything that's been going on these past months and just to be clear, | don't think that only | deserve to be paid more. | think the entire cast does. Negotiations are a natural part of working in show business. Everyone has a different strategy & different boundaries. Their' price.' Some accept offers, some hold their ground. Bender is part of my soul & nothing about this is meant to be disrespectful to the fans or my Futurama family. It's about self-respect. And honestly, being tired of an industry that's become far too corporate and takes advantage of artists' time & talent. Look, I wish I could give you every detail so that you would understand, but it's not my place. Thanks again for the love, everyone. Still hoping for the best. In the meantime, I'll be in New Orleans shooting Interview With A Vampire for AMC – and very grateful to be! Thanks..."

Voice Actors Don't Get No R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

Futurama Fry Leela Bender
20th Century Fox/Everett Collection

Although DiMaggio paints a pretty grim picture of the industry, the voice actor is choosing to use his power and privilege to make the industry better for all voice actors. Respect, DiMaggio. A few months ago, something similar happened, leaving fans of another popular franchise upset over a recast and angry about how the industry treated voice actors: Chris Pratt's casting as Mario in the new animated movie based on the Super Mario Bros. video game.

Many felt that Pratt's casting of Mario was wrong. Upon learning the announcement, Nintendo fans argued that the perfect voice for the character already exists, the long-time voice actor for the character in the Super Mario Bros. video games, Charles Martinet. Mario's signature "Wahoo!" is one of the most memorable sounds in the gaming world. Fans argued the recasting of Martinet for an A-List celebrity reflects a more significant issue in the film industry of a lack of respect for voice actors. Much like the debate surrounding the Mario casting, DiMaggio draws attention to the larger problem of a lack of respect for voice actors.