‘The Simpsons’ producer breaks silence on Marge Simpson’s shocking death after fan backlash

D’oh!

“The Simpsons” executive producer Matt Selman has spoken out about the surprising decision to “kill off” Marge Simpson during a flash-forward scene in the show’s Season 36 finale.

Although the decision caused major controversy within the hit cartoon’s loyal fanbase, Selman slammed the backlash and claimed that it was “ridiculous.”

"The Simpsons" executive producer Matt Selman in a gray sweater.
“The Simpsons” executive producer Matt Selman has spoken out about the decision to “kill off” Marge Simpson during a flash-forward scene in the show’s Season 36 finale.The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images
“Obviously, since ‘The Simpsons’ future episodes are all speculative fantasies, they’re all different every time,” he told Variety during an interview published on Thursday, June 26.

“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, 53, added. “’The Simpsons’ doesn’t even have canon!”

The episode in question, titled “Estranger Things” and which aired on May 18, focuses on siblings Bart and Lisa Simpson as they slowly grow apart after they stop watching “The Itchy & Scratchy Show” together.

A still from "The Simpsons."
Selman slammed the backlash and claimed that it was “ridiculous.”20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
After a 35-year time jump, the audience learns that Marge has died, Bart and Lisa are estranged, and Homer Simpson, the family’s dad, is living in a retirement home.

A short scene from Marge’s funeral shows Homer in tears while the rest of the Simpsons family stands around him.

At the end of the Season 36 finale, Marge watches from Heaven as Bart and Lisa save their dad from the retirement home and reconnect over a reboot of “The Itchy & Scratchy Show.”

A still from the Season 36 finale of "The Simpsons."
A short scene from Marge’s funeral shows Homer in tears while the rest of the Simpsons family stands around him.The Simpsons/Disney+
“I’m so happy my kids are close again,” the Simpsons family matriarch says.

It is then revealed that Marge met and married Beatles superstar Ringo Starr while in Heaven.

But viewers were not happy to learn that the show’s creators “killed off” Marge Simpson, and many took to social media to express their shock and outrage.

“I haven’t even watched The Simpsons in 10+ years but they really killed MARGE?!” one person wrote on X after the episode aired.

A still from the Season 36 finale of "The Simpsons."
At the end of the Season 36 finale, Marge watches from Heaven as Bart and Lisa reconnect over a reboot of “The Itchy & Scratchy Show.”The Simpsons/Disney+
“What’s this I’m hearing they killed Marge Simpson off?” another fan added.

“Marge Simpson is dead?” a third critic commented. “Utter woke nonsense!”

Surprisingly, Selman welcomed the backlash and claimed that it was further proof that “The Simpsons” and its beloved characters are still relevant after 36 years on TV.

"The Simpsons" executive producer Matt Selman in a blue shirt and hat.
Selman welcomed the backlash and claimed that it was further proof that “The Simpsons” is still relevant after 36 years on TV.AFP via Getty Images
“I guess this speaks to the fact that people care about Marge,” he told Variety. “At the end of the day, it’s probably good for business even when these ridiculous, misleading stories go viral!”

“The Simpsons,” which premiered on Fox in 1989, remains the longest-running animated show on television.

Fox renewed the show, which has won 37 Emmys, for four more seasons in April.