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An unexpected scene at the end of the 36th season of The Simpsons caused a stir on social media and sparked a wave of rumors among fans: Marge Simpson, the iconic matriarch of the most famous yellow family in the world, had died. The commotion was so great that the series' executive producer, Matt Selman, had to make a public statement to calm things down.
But did Marge really die?
🌀 Alternate future and confusion in the fandom
The episode that caused all the commotion takes place 35 years in the future — a time jump that The Simpsons has used several times in special episodes called “flash-forwards”. In it, we see Bart and Lisa as adults, Homer weakened in a nursing home and, to the audience’s surprise, Marge’s funeral is shown. The character even appears in “heaven”, watching her children and... believe it or not, involved in a new post-life romance with none other than Ringo Starr, former member of the Beatles.
The scenes were interpreted by many as a definitive farewell to the character, leading fans to consider that the series was ending Marge’s presence — which, according to Selman, could not be further from the truth.
🗣️ “There is no canon in The Simpsons,” says producer
In an interview with Variety magazine, Selman was direct: "Obviously, since the future episodes in The Simpsons are all speculative fantasies, they are different every time."
For him, fans need to understand that The Simpsons does not follow a continuous or canonical timeline. The series, which premiered in 1989 and already has almost 800 episodes, has always explored the absurd, the surreal and nonsense humor, including contradictory stories.
“Marge will probably never die again. The only time Marge died was in that episode that aired six weeks ago,” assured the producer, putting an end to speculation.
📺 A series that defies time (and logic)
Throughout its more than three decades on the air, The Simpsons has already predicted presidents, technological advances and cultural trends. They also played around with the characters' aging (or not), creating futuristic episodes in which Lisa becomes president of the United States, Bart fails as a musician, and Maggie... still doesn't speak.
These episodes are seen by the writers as creative freedoms, allowing them to explore alternative versions of the family — but always making it clear that none of this is permanent.
📆 And what about the future of the series?
Selman also confirmed that The Simpsons has already been renewed for four more seasons, which should take the series until at least 2029. Marge, therefore, will continue to be firm (and alive) in Springfield, with her iconic blue hair, her calm voice and her eternal patience with Homer.
🧠 Fun Fact DFATOS
Did you know that The Simpsons is the longest-running prime-time animated series on world TV? It premiered on December 17, 1989 and, unlike Marge, never died. And apparently, it still has a lot of story to tell.
Follow DFATOS for more curiosities, behind the scenes and analysis about your favorite series.
