The Simpsons brings Apu back: he now has a new voice

Apu Nahasapeemapetilon returned as a speaking character on Fox’s The Simpsons on October 18, 2026, in Season 38, Episode 3, “Treehouse of Horror Presents: The Revengening.” This time, the longtime character comes back with a new voice.

Sunil Malhotra now voices Apu, taking over from Hank Azaria, who had played him since 1990. Janina Gavankar steps in as Manjula. The episode also addresses Apu’s nine-year disappearance head-on, with a meta scene where he says Springfield acted like he never existed.

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The return comes after years of criticism over Apu’s accent and portrayal, criticism that picked up even more after Hari Kondabolu’s 2017 documentary The Problem with Apu. After that, the character was mostly pushed into silent background appearances until Azaria said in January 2020 that he would stop voicing him. He later apologized to Indian Americans who were hurt by the role.

If you follow The Simpsons, this episode is one to watch. Executive producer Matt Selman says Apu’s return is meant as a reintegration, not a cameo, in line with the broader industry shift toward recasting characters of color with actors from matching backgrounds. Malhotra has called it a “reclamation” and says the producers don’t want Apu back as the butt of the joke. Early reaction has been cautious but positive. Kondabolu hasn’t commented, and you can see the return in Season 38, Episode 3.

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Author: Jesús Bosque

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