‘The Simpsons’ Showrunner Matt Selman Is “Super In Denial” About How The Show Would Navigate A Death In The Main Cast

The Simpsons may seemingly predict the future, but there is one thing that showrunner and executive producer Matt Selman is refusing to even think about.

While speaking with People , Selman confessed that he is “super in denial” about what he would do should one of the show’s primary voice actors pass away ahead of the show’s finale.

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“I don’t think about it, so I’m just going to not think about that,” he said. “But certainly, it’s just if the show ever does a last episode.”

As noted by People and the New York Post , the main voice cast features Julie Kavner , Dan Castellaneta , Nancy Cartwright , Hank Azaria , Yeardley Smith and Harry Shearer .

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Danny DeVito recently returned to voice Homer’s brother Herb Powell in the Season 36 premiere — which also posed as a series “finale” — titled “Bart’s Birthday,” which aired on Sept. 29. Other stars who made guest voice cameos included John Cena , Tom Hanks , Joel McHale and Conan O’Brien .

Selman, who started as a writer on the animated comedy in 1997, told People that when the show ultimately reaches its end, he “just hope[s] it’s just a regular episode with no Winky Winky stuff at all.

“Just a great family story, just like a classic story that’s just funny and involves the whole family and doesn’t feel like it needs to wrap up anything or change anything or tie anything up or be magic or talk to the audience directly,” he added.

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Keeping in mind “Bart’s Birthday” — which was created by AI and featured a slew of finale cliches, as well as parodies of shows such as Game of Thrones and Succession — Selman noted that a series finale with lots of fanfare will not be needed because they already “did that.”

“We just did that. We covered it,” he said. “Check that off the list.”

The Simpsons was renewed for its current season, Season 36, in January 2023. The Simpsons airs new episodes on Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on FOX .

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