The thought of The Simpsons getting cancelled terrified me as a kid. Well, so much for that! The show is still going strong and will debut its 36th season later this year. When it does, it will still feature the same main cast members who have been there since day one. And they will seemingly always be there so long as the animated icon continues. Showrunner Matt Selman says that time and age does not mean that The Simpsons will recast its original stars.
In an interview with Cartoon Base (which we first learned about at CBR) Selman was asked “As time passes and the voice actors age, do you think of recasting them?” He gave a short, unambiguous answer. He said, “I do not.”
That means Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Yeardley Smith, and Nancy Cartwright aren’t going anywhere. (Unless they step down.) And the same seems true for Hank Azaria and Harry Shearer. The Simpsons has recast some of the many parts its main cast members have played. But it’s never replacing them entirely.