An executive producer of The Simpsons is setting the record straight on whether Marge Simpson is really dead or not following the events of the season 36 finale.
Fans online have been confused about the fate of the fan-favorite character as the episode, which is set in the future, showed that Marge has passed away in that timeline, and it made them wonder whether it is canon to the series or not.
Is Marge's Death in The Simpsons Canon?
Speaking with Variety, The Simpsons executive producer Matt Selman confirmed that Marge Simpson's death in the season 36 finale episode is NOT canon.
"There is no canon. The Simpsons doesn't even have canon!" he said.
"Obviously since The Simpsons future episodes are all speculative fantasies, they’re all different every time. Marge will probably never be dead ever again. The only place Marge is dead is in one future episode that aired six weeks ago."
Selman also called out the news websites that sensationalized Marge's death in the episode.
"Here’s my take: Websites need traffic, and headlines equal traffic. And then you can explain that the headline was misleading at the very end of the article. Every single media outlet that ran this story knew that in no way was Marge dead. They all knew it, but they ran the headline anyway," he said.
Nevertheless, Selman saw the responses to the death as fans being passionate about Marge.
"I guess this speaks to the fact that people care about Marge. At the end of the day, it’s probably good for business even when these ridiculous, misleading stories go viral!" he added.
What is the Future of The Simpsons?
Fortunately for fans, more The Simpsons episodes are coming in the future as season 37 is set to premiere this fall.
Last April, Fox announced that they renewed The Simpsons, Family Guy, Bob's Burgers, and returning series American Dad for an unprecedented four more seasons with 15 episodes each.
In other words, The Simpsons is expected to run until season 40 or the 2028-2029 broadcast season.
Despite what the season 36 finale suggested, Marge Simpson will remain part of the family, and fans should no longer worry about her fate.
Are you happy that Marge's death is not canon? Let us know in the comments.
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