The Surprising Connection Between Adventure Time And Futurama

It's no secret that hidden Easter eggs in TV shows and movies are overwhelmingly loved by fans — especially when they're incorporated in ways that make sense to the continuity of the shows. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe is arguably the frontrunner when it comes to clever Easter eggs, there have been countless clues for viewers to find in everything from horror films to Disney classics.

Cartoon Network's Adventure Time and Fox's animated comedy Futurama may not have the most obvious connection at first glance. Aside from both shows being cartoons that take place in strange, far-future environments, they also happen to share a talented voice actor. John DiMaggio — also famous for his roles in Gears of War (Marcus Fenix) and Kim Possible (Dr. Drakken) — plays Jake the Dog in Adventure Time and Bender on Futurama. 

And the connections don't end there. In an episode of Futurama, there was a brief (but great) crossover moment that you may have missed.

During the Futurama episode entitled "Leela and the Genestalk" in season 7, Leela finds herself breaking out in suction cups, succumbing to a genetic condition that causes her limbs to transform into tentacles. When Fry is sent to pay for her surgery, he is conned into buying magic beans instead, and Farnsworth angrily throws them away upon his return. The beans grow into a giant beanstalk, and Leela climbs it to live out her, life tentacles and all, alone. Eventually she finds a castle, where she's kidnapped by Mom's evil sons, and the Planet Express crew heads out to save her. This leads us to the aforementioned crossover moment, where two of DiMaggio's most famous characters come face-to-face.

As Fry, Leela, and Bender make their escape, Bender takes a bit of a slower approach to the stairs — by sitting in a motorized stairlift. He continues walking, only to come across Finn and Jake from Adventure Time, who are (for reasons unknown) chained to the castle wall. Jake hoarsely whispers out his catch phrase "What time is it?" to which Bender replies in his usual sassy fashion, "Time for you to shut up!"

While the surprising cameo was not at all necessary to the plot, it was a fun way to celebrate DiMaggio's work.