Futurama Fans Are Divided Over Who They Want To See Return For The Reboot

Why do a reboot when you can do a three-boot? That's the question "Futurama" dared to ask when news broke that the iconic animated comedy series would be revived yet again for its third overall run (via Variety). The original series was a labor of love from its creators, with an impressive amount of time dedicated to creating each individual "Futurama" episode. That hard work paid off, though, as the show is now nothing short of a pop culture phenomenon renowned for its surplus of hilarious jokes and iconic quotes (via Rotten Tomatoes).

Though details on the revival have been rather sparse, early information has surely been exciting for longtime fans of the franchise. There was a period of uncertainty regarding whether John DiMaggio would return as Bender, but it has since been confirmed that all of the key voice actors from the previous seasons will be returning for the upcoming reboot. Consequently, many fans are expecting to see their favorite characters from the series return once more. Interestingly, some hardcore viewers are actually hoping for a slight twist in terms of who makes up the central cast.

When "Futurama" ended in 2013 with Season 7, Episode 26 ("Meanwhile"), many viewers lauded the finale as the perfect bookend to the series. As a result, some fans have concerns that continuing the story of the original main characters could disturb the significance of the previous finale. The solution? Focus on an alternate universe. In a recent thread on the r/futurama subreddit, u/GoodNaturedGamer wrote that they would like the new season to focus on the versions of the main cast from Universe 1, the alternate reality first introduced in Season 4, Episode 15 ("The Farnsworth Paradox"). This user reasoned that doing so could allow "the original finale [to] go untouched."

Some commenters agreed with the idea, suggesting it would be entertaining to see the antics of a bizarro version of the show's main cast. However, many other commenters pushed back on the suggestion. "That would be awful," u/howdouhavegoodnames commented. "Why do 'Futurama' without the original characters? That's not 'Futurama,' that's a spin-off of 'Futurama'."

Regardless of where fans stand on the matter, it's unlikely that the revival will focus on alternate versions of the main cast. None of the promotional material for the upcoming reboot has given any indication that such a prominent change in direction will take place. In fact, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, 20th Television Animation Executive Vice President Marci Proietto insinuated the new season will focus on the same versions of the characters from before. "I'm thrilled that this incredible team will get to tell more stories, and that our Planet Express crew will have more adventures together," Proietto said.