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

HJL1

Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2016
Messages
12
Reaction score
19
This was mentioned a while ago. Here is my take;

Tyler could make a great Clifford if Disney ever decides to resurrect the character. As to other recasts, Peter is probably the official Statler recast, Rizzo might be phased out to a background role, however, Peter could perform him. Lips will also likely be performed by a background puppeteer or Peter (he is the only main puppeteer without an electric mayhem character). The Newsman & Link could go to Bill Barretta, Beaker to David Rudman. If Clifford could come back, older characters like Phil Van Neuter could go to Peter, Seymour to Eric, Sal to Tyler or David Rudman.

When Dave retires, who could inherit Gonzo? Will he be retired? He hasn't had any other performer. Perhaps Peter L or David Rudman. What about Dave's other characters like Zoot and Bunsen ?
 

Oscarfan

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 2, 2008
Messages
7,528
Reaction score
3,961
I 100% doubt they'll bring back any of those guys, especially Seymour (if he wasn't good enough to last beyond MT, what makes you think they'll integrate him into the troupe now?)

Clifford, regardless of how the puppet looks, is a purely African American character. Nobody should be taking him over unless they too are. You never heard any one but Matt Robinson doing Roosevelt Franklin's voice and trying to pass it off as the character.

Disney's focus appears to be the classic troupe from TMS, with pretty much Walter and Bill's MT characters thrown in. Aside from maybe a background cameo at the least, you're probably not going to see any of the MT guys come back.

That's not pessimism, it's reality.
 

Muppetboy09

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2011
Messages
1,026
Reaction score
1,307
We are very quickly going to learn who the recasts are for these characters, as most of them will probably be appearing at the Hollywood Bowl. I feel like Peter is going to take over a majority of Steve's characters, including Rizzo. For a while, Rizzo was absent, but they just recently pushed him back into the spotlight with the Muppets TV show. I feel like he is too big of a character now to phase out again.

Also, when Dave retires, they most definitely will recast Gonzo. If Kermit isn't "too sacred" to recast, then no character is (in my opinion). He is a core part of the Muppets, so they wouldn't phase him out either.
 

D'Snowth

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2003
Messages
38,849
Reaction score
12,814
Clifford, regardless of how the puppet looks, is a purely African American character. Nobody should be taking him over unless they too are. You never heard any one but Matt Robinson doing Roosevelt Franklin's voice and trying to pass it off as the character.
Some of those later Roosevelt Franklin Elementary School inserts sounds like Jerry trying to do an imitation of Matt.

But, I mean, to say a white performer can't perform a black puppet is like saying male performers like Frank, Eric, Richard, and others can't perform female characters like Piggy or Janice.
 

HJL1

Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2016
Messages
12
Reaction score
19
I 100% doubt they'll bring back any of those guys, especially Seymour (if he wasn't good enough to last beyond MT, what makes you think they'll integrate him into the troupe now?)

Clifford, regardless of how the puppet looks, is a purely African American character. Nobody should be taking him over unless they too are. You never heard any one but Matt Robinson doing Roosevelt Franklin's voice and trying to pass it off as the character.

Disney's focus appears to be the classic troupe from TMS, with pretty much Walter and Bill's MT characters thrown in. Aside from maybe a background cameo at the least, you're probably not going to see any of the MT guys come back.

That's not pessimism, it's reality.
I'm not saying they will come back, it was just a hypothetical idea.
 

HJL1

Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2016
Messages
12
Reaction score
19
We are very quickly going to learn who the recasts are for these characters, as most of them will probably be appearing at the Hollywood Bowl. I feel like Peter is going to take over a majority of Steve's characters, including Rizzo. For a while, Rizzo was absent, but they just recently pushed him back into the spotlight with the Muppets TV show. I feel like he is too big of a character now to phase out again.

Also, when Dave retires, they most definitely will recast Gonzo. If Kermit isn't "too sacred" to recast, then no character is (in my opinion). He is a core part of the Muppets, so they wouldn't phase him out either.
Peter could very well do Gonzo. He is going to get some key characters and is becoming one of the major performers. On Sesame he is taking over for Ernie, he does Big Bird ocassionally and could do Telly when Marty retires.
 

scooterfan360

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2013
Messages
830
Reaction score
411
Well, hopefully that will happen. Again, this is why we need a Kermit "Thought of the Week," so when Matt's Kermit makes his debut, all Muppet fans will be able to see it.
yeah we do, because it would be unfair to those who are unable to attend.
 

scooterfan360

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2013
Messages
830
Reaction score
411
I 100% doubt they'll bring back any of those guys, especially Seymour (if he wasn't good enough to last beyond MT, what makes you think they'll integrate him into the troupe now?)

Clifford, regardless of how the puppet looks, is a purely African American character. Nobody should be taking him over unless they too are. You never heard any one but Matt Robinson doing Roosevelt Franklin's voice and trying to pass it off as the character.

Disney's focus appears to be the classic troupe from TMS, with pretty much Walter and Bill's MT characters thrown in. Aside from maybe a background cameo at the least, you're probably not going to see any of the MT guys come back.

That's not pessimism, it's reality.
speaking of Clifford, i cracked up at his scene in Muppets from space, when he was getting the mail, and was looking at letters that he got from girls.
 

LittleJerry92

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2007
Messages
15,707
Reaction score
7,715
Some of those later Roosevelt Franklin Elementary School inserts sounds like Jerry trying to do an imitation of Matt.

But, I mean, to say a white performer can't perform a black puppet is like saying male performers like Frank, Eric, Richard, and others can't perform female characters like Piggy or Janice.
Agreed, and again, let's not forget we have a white guy doing a black guy's voice on Family Guy.
 
Top