The executive producer of The Simpsons clarifies Marge Simpson's fate following her unexpected death.
Springfield residents can relax. The executive producer of The Simpsons clarified that Marge Simpson, the show is matriarch, is still very much alive in the cartoon's universe amidst the online outcry about her death in a flash-forward during the season 36 finale.
“Obviously since The Simpsons future episodes are all speculative fantasies, they’re all different every time,” in a June 26 interview, Matt Selman told Variety. “Marge will probably never be dead ever again. The only place Marge is dead is in one future episode that aired six weeks ago.”
In the May 18 episode of "Estranger Things," Marge's worst nightmare came true when her oldest children, Bart and Lisa, grew apart. The matriarch, played by Julie Kavner, then looks ahead to the family's future, and to her delight, she watched from heaven as they finally reunited to take care of an elderly Homer. In the end, Selman clarified, "The Simpsons does not even have canon!"
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However, he views the public reaction around Marge's supposed death as evidence that the cartoon series, which has been around for a long time and is the longest-running scripted series in American history, is still relevant.
“I guess this speaks to the fact that people care about Marge,” Selman stated. “At the end of the day, it’s probably good for business even when these ridiculous, misleading stories go viral!”
Although Marge's "death" undoubtedly created a stir, viewers have been moved by other characters' deaths throughout the 790 episodes of the show. In fact, viewers remembered about the famous Springfielder after fixture Larry the Barfly passed away last season. His history had never been explored throughout his 35-season career.
"RIP Larry the Barfly—we hardly knew ye," on X, one fan posted, and another shared, "May your journey end in a bar with bottomless kegs and an eternal happy hour."
