Steve Whitmire has left the Muppets, Matt Vogel to continue as Kermit

[minor muppetz]

Wasn't Steve performing Link in those new Pigs in Space videos? Unless of course they were recorded before October 2016.

It's common knowledge that those were produced back in May 2015. In fact, it's known that there's three additional ones that have yet to be seen.

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

It's common knowledge that those were produced back in May 2015. In fact, it's known that there's three additional ones that have yet to be seen.

Oh. I thought those were pretty recent. After 's absence in the Thanksgiving Day parade, I was relieved to see that Steve was still active with the Muppets. I had no idea that those were a few years old.

 

[D'Snowth]

Gee, I wonder who the little anonymous twerp is who's been posting these butthurt comments:
https://stevewhitmire-muppetpundit.com/2017/07/11/its-time-to-get-things-started/#comment-49
https://stevewhitmire-muppetpundit.com/2017/07/11/its-time-to-get-things-started/#comment-50

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

I'm honestly not sure how to process all this. I'm not angry at Disney, but i'm just sad and baffled by their decisions. And like I mentioned in an earlier post, i'm really scared this could happen to any of the other performers.

 

[muppetperson]

So that now raises the question as to why Disney felt the need to recast?
Where they not happy with Steve's performances?

 

[mbmfrog]

So Disney made this decision not Steve.

I know Disney OWNS the Muppets, but shouldn't the Jim Henson Company have a small say in this or two, given that it was Jim's legacy and his own children that thought Steve should do in the first place if history serves me right ?

 

[D'Snowth]

Not necessarily; JHC has nothing to do with the Classic Muppets anymore, so they wouldn't have any say in this, just like they had nothing to do or say with the two new movies or the ABC series.

 

[Mo Frackle]

I remember Steve doing a MuppetCast shortly after the America's Got Talent event in '09. He did his best to discuss the matter without accidentally speaking out of line, but the gist of what he said was "I don't own these characters, so I don't decide who does and doesn't perform them."

 

[Oscarfan]

Not necessarily; JHC has nothing to do with the Classic Muppets anymore, so they wouldn't have any say in this, just like they had nothing to do or say with the two new movies or the ABC series.

I believe they still provide archival costume outfits and puppets, but I think that's as far as it goes.

 

[LipsGF4Life]

Words can't say how deeply upset and devastated I am that one of my favorite Muppeteers of the Muppets, Steve Whitmire, will no longer be in the Muppets. The way he says that he's dissapointed that he didn't impress his own hero of himself really broke and melted my heart completely. All of the Muppet World, including myself, are shaken and heartbroken of Steve leaving. The Muppets will never be the same again without Steve Whitmire performing Rizzo the Rat, Kermit the Frog, Beaker, and my favorite of his, Lips the trumpeteer of the Electric Mayhem....