The Simpsons may only have a few seasons left, according to Bart actress Nancy Cartwright.
The voice behind the spikey-haired Simpson son said it’s her “opinion” the long-running animated show will end with Season 40 during a conversation on the Inside of You podcast with Michael Rosenbaum. Quite simply, when the host and Smallville actor asked how long Cartwright thinks The Simpsons will run, she said, without hesitation, “40.”
When asked if it will stop at 40 seasons, she clarified, saying, “Yeah.”
“You’re sure?” he asked again.
“That’s my opinion,” she responded.
The Simpsons has been inescapable for almost 40 years. Simpsons creator Matt Groening first introduced the world to Homer, Marge, Lisa, Bart, and Maggie and the rest of the town of Springfield all the way back in 1989. It’s since gone on to expand beyond TV, with offshoots including The Simpsons Movie in 2007, as well as a slew of video games, such as The Simpsons: Hit & Run.
Fox promised to sprinkle in more episodes of The Simpsons when it renewed the show up to Season 40 last year. Now, on the verge of the premiere of its 38th season of television next month, Cartwright thinks things are starting to wind down. That’s not to say she wouldn’t be opposed to sticking around – as long as the cast and crew were still alive.
“Is everybody still alive?” she asked in the hypothetical scenario.
“Yeah,” Rosenbaum replied.
“Yeah, we’ll keep going then,” she said.
Cartwright clarified that, as long as she’s concerned, as long as everyone is still kicking in Springfield, she’ll “absolutely” go as long as The Simpsons continues to receive renewals. For now, that’s just until Season 40, which should arrive sometime in 2028.
Although showrunner Matt Selman has said The Simpsons would stray from ever delivering what many would expect from the average TV show finale, it won’t go out without a bang. The Simpsons Movie 2 is still very much in the works and even has a release date of July 23, 2027. For more on everything going on in and outside of Springfield, you can read about The Simpsons actor who retired back in 2024. You can also check out IGN’s list of the show’s top 36 episodes of all time.
Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
