Nancy Cartwright Weighs In on When ‘The Simpsons’ Will Finally End
After nearly four decades and more than 800 episodes in Springfield, even television’s most iconic 10-year-old underachiever recognizes that all good things must eventually come to an end.
Nancy Cartwright, the Emmy-winning voice behind Bart Simpson (along with Nelson Muntz, Ralph Wiggum, and Todd Flanders), recently shared her thoughts on the long-term future of The Simpsons during an appearance on Michael Rosenbaum’s Inside of You podcast. When pressed on when she thinks the record-breaking animated sitcom will officially wrap up its run, Cartwright didn’t hesitate: Season 40.
“Forty. It’s My Opinion.”
When Rosenbaum asked the 68-year-old voice legend when she envisioned the series drawing to a close, Cartwright offered a blunt, single-word prediction.
“Forty,” Cartwright stated. When Rosenbaum pressed for clarification on whether she truly believed the show would stop at 40 seasons, she reiterated, “Yeah. It’s my opinion.”
The prediction carries real weight considering the show’s current production timeline. FOX has already officially renewed The Simpsons through Season 40, which would keep the series on the air through the 2028–2029 television season. Hitting that milestone would put the show well past 850 total episodes—further cementing its Guinness World Record as the longest-running scripted prime-time series in television history.
Morbid Realities and Human Legacy
While Cartwright clarified that she remains personally invested in continuing the show for as long as Fox and Disney want to produce it, she candidly noted the natural biological realities facing a voice cast that has been together since 1989.
“Is everybody still alive?” Cartwright asked hypothetically when discussing the show’s ultimate endgame.
The sentiment touches on a broader conversation within the industry. Unlike studio efforts that have turned to AI or recast younger voice doubles to keep legacy properties going indefinitely, Cartwright has previously spoken out in favor of preserving the human element of performance, famously declaring that AI “has no heart” and that any eventual passing of the torch should go to human successors who bring actual passion to the characters.
A Legacy Set in Stone
Even as the television series contemplates its long-term horizon, The Simpsons universe isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Beyond the current broadcast seasons, 20th Century Studios and Disney are currently preparing for The Simpsons Movie 2, which is scheduled to hit theaters on September 3, 2027—marking two decades since the original 2007 feature film.
Whether The Simpsons finally takes its bow at Season 40 or stretches past it, Cartwright’s four-decade run as the rebellious heart of Springfield stands as one of the most remarkable individual achievements in modern pop culture history.
