For the better part of a decade plus, fans of Fry, Leela, Bender, and the rest of the Futurama crew had little to quench their thirst for the show other than syndicated reruns… Until 2023. This past year, Matt Groening and David Cohen’s brainchild returned to the delight of fans everywhere. (Although, we did get Disenchantment and more Simpsons in the interim.) The new season, the show’s (broadcast) eleventh, came to a conclusion in September, leaving us wondering what comes next. We already knew that Hulu had purchased two seasons of ten episodes each. Thanks to Thursday’s New York Comic Con (NYCC 2023) panel, we now know a bit more.
After a brief introduction from producer Lee Supercinski, the panel leapt right into a screening of the current season finale. Thereafter, the Futurama producers, including head writer/executive producer David Cohen, executive producer Claudia Katz, supervising producer Peter Avanzino, and others, dove right in to answer NYCC 2023 revelers’ questions. In the process, they divulged some juicy tidbits about Season 12.
The Future of Futurama comes to life at NYCC 2023
Jarred head afficionados, rejoice – Not only will jarred heads return, but the showrunners promised a “huge” guest star next season. Given some of the producers’ favorite, big-name cameos (Bea Arthur!), who it could be is anyone’s guess. One confirmed guest for Futurama Season 12, according to Cohen, will be none other than Neill DeGrasse Tyson. If you’re rooting for a sparring match between Tyson and the Professor, you’re not alone. But they didn’t stop there in giving NYCC 2023 fans a taste of what’s to come.
One episode, we’re told, will feature a “team-up” of thirty-seven “live” (i.e. speaking) characters. If the clips from next season are any indication, that could come in director Crystal Chesney-Thompson’s episode featuring a “reenactment” of Fry’s eight birthday. We won’t spoil it too much for you; let’s just say Futurama will give us a taste of Barrel of Monkeys meets Squid Game. Did we also see a *gasp* love interest for Bender? If you attended the NYCC 2023 panel, well….
The future of Futurama looks as shiny and bright as ever.
Want more NYCC 2023 news? Stay tuned here to That Hashtag Show!
