Voice actress Nancy Cartwright, who stars as Bart Simpson in “The Simpsons,” shared on the “Inside of You” podcast with Michael Rosenbaum that after season 40, the hit sitcom will likely come to an end.
When asked by Rosenbaum how much longer the animated FOX comedy has left in the tank, Cartwright, who has been with the cast since season 1 in 1989, gave her firm opinion of how producers will end the show after four decades.
“How long do you think ‘The Simpsons’ will go?” Rosenbaum asked Cartwright.
Without hesitation, Cartwright responded, “40 [seasons].”
When Rosenbaum pressed her again, she doubled down, “Yeah … it’s my opinion.”
Nancy Cartwright Reveals If She’d Continue ‘The Simpsons’
Although Cartwright said she’d continue making new episodes past the 40-year benchmark, she would only consider it if the whole cast was “still alive,” emphasizing that if the original cast stayed on, she would “absolutely” continue past season 40.
Known for its satirical bits on everyday culture, often becoming predictive of current events, “The Simpsons” has been the longest-running American animated series and sitcom in television history.
Showrunner Matt Selman previously teased how producers would end “The Simpsons” by putting all of their series finale concepts into one episode and signing off without a proper goodbye-ending to Bart, Homer, Marge, Lisa, and Maggie.
“We did an episode about a year-and-a-half ago that was like a parody of the series finale. We jammed every possible series finale concept into one show, so that was sort of my way of saying we’re never going to do a series finale,” Selman told The Wrap in February. “We did a series finale in the middle of the show that made fun of all the ideas of wrapping everything up or ending.”
“The Simpsons” is currently in the middle of season 38, with two more seasons greenlit before an anticipated season 40 ending in fall 2028.
Selman, who is firm on his stance against canon endings, meaning characters can be killed off and return at any time in the series, gave fans a glimpse of what “The Simpsons” would be like if key character Marge Simpson was dead and no longer part of the show.
Selman previously ended Marge’s run during the season 36 finale in May 2025. The episode features Marge watching over her family 35 years after her death, E! News reported. Although the four kids grew estranged, Marge’s watchful eye managed to reunite her family in the end. Marge, however, returned as her normal self in episode 1 of the following season.
‘The Simpsons’ Character Guide
Throughout its four decades on FOX, memorable characters have remained the same. Key roles in “The Simpsons” include:
- Role: Bartholomew JoJo “Bart” Simpson
- Actor: Nancy Cartwright
- Role: Homer Jay Simpson
- Actor: Dan Castellaneta
- Role: Lisa Marie Simpson
- Actor: Yeardley Smith
- Role: Margaret Lenny “Maggie” Simpson
- Actor: Nancy Cartwright
- Role: Marjorie “Marge” Bouvier Simpson
- Actor: Julie Kavner
- Role: Abraham “Abe” Simpson
- Actor: Dan Castellaneta
- Role: Patricia “Patty” Maleficent Bouvier and Selma Bouvier
- Actor: Julie Kavner voices both characters
- Role: Milhouse Mussolini Van Houten
- Actor: Kelly McLeod has voiced the character since 2025 after Pamela Hayden retired following 35 years in the role.
- Role: Moammar “Moe” Szyslak
- Actor: Hank Azaria
- Role: Nedward “Ned” Flanders Jr.
- Actor: Harry Shearer
- Role: Herschel Shmoikel Pinchas Yerucham Krustofsky
- Actor: Dan Castellaneta
- Role: Nelson Mandela Muntz
- Actor: Nancy Cartwright
