Futurama Fans Couldn't Help But Notice This Big Connection To Disenchantment
When it comes to a figure who's left the biggest mark on modern-day animation, Matt Groening is second to none. The Emmy award-winning (via IMDb) cartoonist and writer changed the world of television animation forever with the 1989 debut of "The Simpsons," the satirical look at a working-class American family that remains the longest-running animated series of all time (via Guinness World Records). Additionally, Groening would go on to develop the equally beloved sci-fi comedy "Futurama" in 1999 and the Netflix fantasy series "Disenchantment" in 2018. Not only have these shows become beloved staples of pop culture in their own right, but have gone on to shape the image of adult animated shows for the past 30 years.
With such a colorful assortment of worlds and characters, it would seem only natural for the creators to consider bringing these shows together in one way or another. While there have been plenty of Easter eggs connecting "The Simpsons" and "Futurama," and even a full crossover episode between the two, "Disenchantment" has always seemed a bit left out of the conversation. However, one moment from the fantasy show proves that its connection to Groening's previous work is greater than it seems.
Blink and you'll miss these Futurama characters
In the "Disenchantment" Season 1 episode "Dreamland Falls," the demon Luci (Eric André) is looking through a special globe that has the ability to see back in time. While trying to share some important information with King Zøg (John DiMaggio), Luci uses the globe to look back 15 years in the past, where a series of holograms of past events are showcased. One of these holograms that pops up for only a few frames in the background is an image of "Futurama" main characters Philip J. Fry (Billy West), Bender Bending Rodriguez (John DiMaggio), and Professor Farnsworth (also Billy West) traveling in a time machine.
The machine they travel in is the Forwards Time Machine the from the "Futurama" " Season 7 episode "The Late Philip J. Fry," where the characters travel through time after Fry messes with Farnsworth's machine. While "Disenchantment" has had plenty of homages and references to its futuristic counterpart, this particular Easter egg hints at something more significant.
With no shadow of a doubt, it confirms that at some point in time, the "Futurama" characters existed in the same time and world as those in "Disenchantment." This would also inadvertently mean that "The Simpsons" is a part of the "Disenchantment" universe as well, considering that both that show and "Futurama" had a crossover episode in 2014 that placed the two series in the same universe. While showrunner Josh Weinstein warns against fans getting too carried away with theories (via WireTap), it's hard to deny that this blink-and-you'll-miss-it-moment is anything less than solid evidence that these shows exist in some level of continuity.