Simpsons Producer Confirms Marge Alive After Flashforward Death

The season 36 finale of The Simpsons, titled Estranger Things, featured a flash-forward scene depicting Marge Simpson's death, which shocked fans and sparked widespread speculation. Executive producer Matt Selman clarified that Marge's death is not canon, emphasizing that The Simpsons does not have a fixed canon and that future episodes are speculative fantasies with contradictory storylines. Selman criticized media outlets for running misleading headlines that suggested Marge was permanently dead, noting that such stories generate traffic despite being inaccurate. In the episode, the Simpsons family is shown fractured, with Lisa as NBA commissioner and Bart running a retirement home where Homer resides, and Marge appears via a pre-recorded message urging reconciliation, ultimately depicted happily reunited with Ringo Starr in heaven. The show's creative risks and flash-forward episodes continue to explore themes like mortality and family disconnection while maintaining an open-ended narrative. Selman appreciated the fan response as a sign of how much Marge means to viewers and acknowledged that these viral stories keep The Simpsons culturally relevant.