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Futurama Showrunner David X. Cohen teases big scientist guest star in 2024

Bigger than Stephen Hawking? Maybe.

Futurama
Image credit: Hulu

From Pamela Anderson to Leonard Nimoy to Bea Arthur, Futurama was no stranger to featuring its fair share of guest stars during its original 10 season run. With Hulu bringing the beloved Matt Groenig and David X. Cohen developed sitcom back for 10 episodes in 2023, and another 10 in 2024, that series staple has remained.

At NYCC 2023, some of the Futurama crew shared their favorite guest stars and David X. Cohen teased the first official appearance of Neil deGrasse Tyson on the show.

Diehard Futurama fans may be readying a “well, actually…” but let us explain. Tyson has appeared in the Futurama universe in an ad for the 2017 mobile game, Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow. He also appears as a character in the game. However, he was never featured in an episode of the original run of the show or in the first 10 episodes released on Hulu in 2023. According to show runner David X. Cohen, that will change.

“We had Stephen Hawking on for real. He was on three or four times,” said Cohen in response to a fan’s question about the crew’s favorite guest stars at this year's New York Comic Con. “And Neil deGrasse Tyson is coming next season.”

Cohen gave no details as to the nature of Tyson’s appearance, but he was a head-in-a-jar in his past cameo.

Hulu’s last episode of 2023, “All the Way Down” aired on September 25. 10 new episodes will air in 2024 to wrap Hulu’s 20 episode order.


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