Nancy Cartwright Believes The Simpsons Will End With Season 40
Nancy Cartwright has spent nearly four decades giving voice to one of the most recognizable characters in television history. As the actress behind Bart Simpson, she has delivered the catchphrases, the schemes, and the perpetual ten-year-old energy that helped turn The Simpsons into a cultural institution. Now, in a candid conversation, Cartwright has offered her personal prediction about how much longer the show can continue. She believes it will end with Season 40.
The comments came during an appearance on Michael Rosenbaum’s Inside of You podcast. When Rosenbaum asked how long she thought The Simpsons would keep going, Cartwright answered immediately and without hesitation: “40.” He followed up, asking if she really thought the series would stop at that milestone. “Yeah,” she replied. Pressed further on whether she was sure, Cartwright clarified that the number represented her opinion rather than any official information. “That’s my opinion,” she said.
That opinion carries weight. Cartwright has been with the series since its earliest days. She first voiced Bart in the animated shorts that aired on The Tracey Ullman Show beginning in 1987, then continued when the characters graduated to their own half-hour series on Fox in 1989. Alongside Dan Castellaneta (Homer), Julie Kavner (Marge), and Yeardley Smith (Lisa), she has remained part of the core cast for the entire run. Few performers in television history can claim that kind of continuity with a single role.
The Simpsons has already rewritten the record books. It is the longest-running scripted primetime series in American television history and holds the Guinness World Record for the longest-running animated sitcom. By early 2026 the show had aired more than 800 episodes. It has survived multiple shifts in network leadership, changing audience tastes, the rise of streaming, and the deaths or departures of secondary cast members. Through it all, the central family has remained remarkably stable.
The series recently completed its 37th season. Season 38 is scheduled to premiere in the coming weeks. In 2025, Fox renewed the show for four additional seasons as part of a broader animation deal that also covered Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, and American Dad. That order guarantees The Simpsons will reach Season 40, which is expected to air during the 2028-29 television season. If Cartwright’s prediction proves accurate, the final episodes would likely air in the spring of 2029, bringing the series to a close just shy of its 40th anniversary as a standalone show.
Cartwright was careful to separate her prediction from any desire to leave. When Rosenbaum asked what she would do if the network wanted to continue beyond Season 40, she responded with a practical question of her own: “Is everybody still alive?” After Rosenbaum confirmed that the cast would still be working, she answered without hesitation. “Yeah, we’ll keep going then.” She later added that she would “absolutely” continue for as long as the show kept receiving renewals, provided the key voice actors remained able to participate.
Her condition makes sense. The chemistry among the principal cast has always been one of the show’s quiet strengths. Unlike many long-running series that cycle through multiple generations of actors, The Simpsons has kept the same voices for Homer, Marge, Bart, and Lisa for the entire run. Replacing any of them would fundamentally change the texture of the series. Cartwright’s comments suggest she understands that the show’s identity is tied not only to the writing and animation but also to the specific performers who have inhabited these roles for decades.
Showrunner Matt Selman has previously indicated that The Simpsons is unlikely to stage a grand, emotional series finale of the kind common on other long-running dramas or comedies. In earlier interviews he suggested the final episode would probably feel more like a regular installment, complete with the family at the center and perhaps a few subtle Easter eggs acknowledging the show’s history. The series has already parodied the idea of a series finale more than once, so a traditional send-off might feel redundant. Cartwright’s prediction of a Season 40 endpoint would give the writers several more years to decide how, or whether, to mark the occasion.
The possibility of an eventual end raises questions that have circulated among fans for years. How does a show that has defined so much of popular culture choose to conclude? The Simpsons has influenced comedy, animation, merchandising, and even political discourse. Its characters appear on everything from T-shirts to academic papers. Bart’s rebellious attitude helped shape a generation’s sense of humor in the 1990s, while the show’s later seasons have continued to comment on technology, celebrity culture, and American life with varying degrees of sharpness. Ending the series would close a chapter that has stretched across multiple eras of television.
Yet the show has also demonstrated remarkable resilience. It has outlasted countless competitors, survived the transition from broadcast dominance to a more fragmented media landscape, and maintained a dedicated audience even as critical consensus has fluctuated. The four-season renewal through Season 40 suggests Fox still sees commercial value in the brand. Streaming availability on Disney+ has introduced the series to younger viewers who never experienced the original 1990s phenomenon in real time. Merchandise, video games, and occasional theatrical projects continue to extend the franchise beyond weekly episodes.
Cartwright herself has spoken in the past about how deeply the role is woven into her life. After nearly forty years of recording sessions, table reads, and public appearances as Bart, the character is more than a job. In earlier interviews she has described the work as part of her lifestyle and admitted she is not looking forward to the day it ends. Her latest comments reflect both realism about the show’s eventual conclusion and genuine willingness to keep going as long as the circumstances allow.
At 68, Cartwright remains active and engaged with the series. She continues to voice not only Bart but a range of supporting characters, a versatility that has been part of her contribution from the beginning. Her ability to slip into the voice in everyday conversation, something she has acknowledged doing from time to time, underscores how thoroughly the role has become second nature.
Whether Season 40 ultimately marks the end remains to be seen. Networks and studios have a habit of extending successful properties when the economics still make sense. Cast availability, creative energy, and audience demand will all play roles in any future decision. Cartwright’s prediction is just that—an informed opinion from someone who has been inside the process longer than almost anyone else. It is not an official announcement, and representatives for the series declined to comment on her remarks.
Still, the conversation is notable because it comes from within the core ensemble. When one of the original voices begins speaking openly about a potential endpoint, it signals that the question of longevity has moved from abstract fan speculation into the realm of practical consideration among the people who make the show. For a series that once seemed as if it might run indefinitely, even a provisional finish line carries significance.
The Simpsons has already achieved a level of endurance few could have imagined when it premiered. From its origins as short interstitial cartoons to its status as a multi-decade institution, it has rewritten expectations for what an animated sitcom can accomplish. Nancy Cartwright’s belief that Season 40 may be the final chapter does not diminish that achievement. If anything, it underscores how remarkable the run has already been. Whether the series stops there or continues further, the characters she helped create will remain part of the cultural landscape long after the final episode airs.
For now, fans can look forward to several more seasons of new stories from Springfield. Season 38 is on the horizon, and the renewal through Season 40 provides a clear runway. Cartwright’s comments simply add a note of perspective: even the longest-running shows eventually reach a point where those closest to them begin to imagine the end. In her view, that point arrives at Season 40. Whether reality follows her prediction will be determined in the years ahead.
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