Summary
- Futurama has a history of hinting at details years in advance, making fan theories become canon parts of the series.
- For example, Fry may be smarter than portrayed, with evidence suggesting he has untapped potential and hidden talents.
- Theories about future episodes and the show’s universe continue to fuel speculation and excitement among fans.
Futurama recently aired its 150th episode, and the show’s creators may have in store for the next batch of 10 episodes that have been ordered for 2024 set up some exciting Futurama theories. While it may seem silly to look at a comedy cartoon so deeply, Futurama has a long history of hinting at details about its universe and characters years ahead of revealing them to be true. Theories that Nibbler caused Fry to come to the future, that Leela’s parents are sewer mutants, and that Igner is the Professor’s son are all now official, canon parts of the series.
As an example, the Nibbler theory started when eagle-eyed viewers noticed the character’s shadow hidden in the background of the pilot episode, before his character’s official introduction in season 1, episode 4 “Love’s Labours Lost.” With a ninth production season currently in the works, and the door open for more episodes or even a movie beyond that, speculation about the future of Futurama is rife. Some Futurama theories concern future episode plots, while others aim to completely recontextualize the show and alter how people view past episodes. These are 10 of the most exciting theories about Futurama that haven’t already come to pass, not even after Futurama’s season 11 ending.
10 Zoidberg Is Still In Love With Marianne
In the penultimate episode of Futurama‘s previous run, Dr. Zoidberg finally found happiness in the form of Marianne. Not only did the character portrayed by Emilia Clarke become Zoidberg’s girlfriend, but the show made the unusual point of leaving them together at the end of the episode. Yet now that Futurama has concluded its first revival season, Marianne has been noticeably absent. It has been speculated that this is due to Clarke’s availability, but a more likely explanation is simply because Zoidberg needs to be unhappy to be funny. One fan theory posits that a future episode will focus on Marianne’s absence as Zoidberg sets about winning her back.
9 Fry Is Way Smarter Than Futurama Suggests
Despite being treated as an idiot, Fry has demonstrated a great deal of brainpower over the years, with some suggesting he may even have an undiagnosed learning condition ignored by his negligent family. One example is season 4, episode 18 “The Devil’s Hands Are Idle Playthings,” where Fry gains the ability to be able to play the holophoner. After doing so, he’s revealed to be a deeply talented musician who understands how to play but was simply hindered by his physicality. The show has taken Amy from an “airhead” stereotype to a Doctor of Applied Physics, and the Professor’s number 2 on scientific expeditions, so this Fry reveal could work.
8 The World Will Run Out Of Opal Essence
In Futurama season 6, episode 23 “All the Presidents’ Heads,” the characters discover that the series’ iconic heads in jars are kept alive using crystalline opal, a rare substance that has temporal qualities. One of the rarest substances in the known universe, the Professor depletes the entire world’s supply on a time-traveling mission to fix history after the crew accidentally alters reality, making it so that America never gained independence from the British. It’s established that the liquid in the jars needs to be regularly changed like cleaning a fish tank which means that, at some time soon, every single head character will be in dire trouble.
7 Futurama Season 12 Will Bring Back Betsy
The titles for Futurama season 12 have been released, and among them are “Beauty and the Bug” which many believe refers to Amy’s beloved pet buggalo, Betsy, last seen in season 3, episode 10 “Where the Buggalo Roam”. Who “Beauty” refers to is harder to work out. It could be Amy, but it could just as easily be one of her newly introduced children who are now positioned to start carrying their own episodes, much as characters like Cubert and Dwight sometimes do. It seems logical that Newt or Mandy could befriend Betsy in an episode of their own.
6 Futurama Is Set In An Entirely Different Universe (Not Just Future)
In season 6, episode 7 “The Late Philip J. Fry,” Bender, the Professor, and Fry travel past the end of time. To their surprise, a new big bang occurs. It seems clear that the writers intended to portray the characters taking up residence in a brand-new, almost identical universe, particularly as the Professor says, “This new universe is about ten feet lower than our old one.” However, one theory claims the episode portrays the characters starting a new “play through” of the same universe. The new season’s “I Know What You Did Next Xmas,” reignited this debate, showing the trip in reverse.
5 Leela Is The “Other” That Nibbler Spoke About
Season 4, episode 10 “The Why of Fry,” confirmed the fan theory that Nibbler was responsible for ensuring Fry was frozen by explaining it happened so Fry could help the Nibblonians defeat the brain spawn. Upon trying to convince a time-traveling Fry not to change the past, Nibbler asks what he cares about in the future, to which Fry answers with Leela. Thinking for a moment, Nibbler says, “She must be ‘the other‘.” Ever since it has been speculated that Leela has a similar hidden purpose to Fry that will be important to the fate of the universe, which makes the next theory even more tantalizing.
4 Futurama’s Brain Spawn Still Haven’t Been Defeated
The brain spawn hasn’t appeared since their apparent defeat in “The Why of Fry.” In season 3, episode 7 “The Day the Earth Stood Stupid,” Fry finds the brains in what he calls “the liberry,” only for him and Leela to be transported inside a mental prison based on various books lying around. The upcoming episode, “The Futurama Mystery Liberry,” may be an anthology with the brains returning to trap the characters inside three mystery novels. Anthology episodes are typically non-canon, but the wraparound sequences usually take place within the show’s real continuity, meaning that the brain spawn is still a threat to the universe.
3 Matt Groening Will Be Revealed In-Universe As Futurama’s Simulation Creator
Futurama season 11’s finale, “All the Way Down,” all but outright confirmed that the world of Futurama is set within a simulation created by a version of the Professor “above” them. Implicitly, that version of the universe is a simulation of one “above” it, with another a simulation “above” it, and so on. However, the creator of Futurama is Matt Groening. An in-universe reveal of him as the show’s creator would finally explain how The Simpsons can exist as a TV show within the reality of Futurama while, concurrently, Futurama exists as a TV show within The Simpsons.
2 El Chupanibre Will Be Flushed Again, Deeper Into The Earth’s Core
El Chupanibre’s only appearance was in season 2, episode 1 “I Second That Emotion,” where he terrorizes the sewer mutants before they flush him into the sub-sewer beneath them, where they believe a race of sub-mutants exists. It stands to reason that those sub-mutants would ultimately get rid of El Chupanibre in the same fashion, flushing him into a sub-sub-sewer, with those sub-sub-mutants going on to do the same down until he reaches the Earth’s core, which could potentially wreak havoc on the whole planet. El Chupanibre is still out there and could prove to be a problem in the future.
1 An Evil Nibbler Will Conquer The Universe
The last time Nibbler appeared was this season’s sequel to a fan-favorite episode, “Parasites Regained,” where Nibbler was infected by the worms Fry dispelled in season 3, episode 2 “Parasites Lost.” It ended with Nibbler still affected by the worms that took Fry to peak physicality by exercising all of his muscles and imbued him with hyper-intelligence by remapping his brain. As a Nibblonian, Nibbler is already one of the most intelligent beings in Futurama‘s universe. With an upcoming episode titled “Cuteness Overlord,” it’s plausible that the next time Nibbler appears, the worms will turn him into a supremely intelligent, physically dominant villain bent on taking over the world.
