The Simpsonsis very well known for seemingly predicting the events of the future in episodes from years past, and fans of the series are convinced they’ve done it again withTom Hanks' coronavirus diagnosis. This week, Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson learned they were both infected with the contagion while on location in Australia for pre-production on Hanks' next movie. The shocking news comes in as many major sporting events and popular vacation spots, from March Madness and the NBA to Disney World and the E3 gaming expo, have all been shut down due to coronavirus concerns.
As for theTom Hanksprediction, some fans are sayingThe Simpsonseerily called it back in 2007 when theA Beautiful Day in the Neighborhoodstar appeared in theThe Simpsons Movie. In the animated movie, Hanks voices himself in a surprise cameo appearance for a television commercial to advertise a new Grand Canyon. “The U.S. government has lost its credibility so it’s borrowing some of mine,” Hanks says in the ad. Later in the movie, during the end credits, Hanks again appears to say the following phrase: “This is Tom Hanks, saying if you see me in person, leave me be.”
While Hanks doesn’t appear to be sick in his cameo inThe Simpsons Movie, his dialogue spoken in the movie is rather odd when considering recent events. Despite warnings from government officials about the coronavirus, many Americans didn’t seem to be taking it seriously, with many changing their tune once it was reported the beloved actor had been diagnosed. The other line of dialogue can also be compared to how Hanks and his wife have been quarantined after their diagnoses, as obviously anyone yet to be exposed might want to keep their distance from theCast Awaystar at the moment.
This follows previous claims fromThe Simpsonsfans that the show also predicted the coronavirus itself as well. In the 1993 episode “Marge in Chains,” a Japanese factory worker coughs into a box before shipping the product to the United States, where the germs then infect the residents of Springfield with a new Asian virus. The illness on the series was referred to as the Osaka Flu, which some fans find to be very comparable to the coronavirus. While the origins of the viruses and the names are very different, the idea that this episode seems to predict the coronavirus has gained a lot of traction with fans on social media.
Among the most notable predictions made byThe Simpsonsis their vision that Donald Trump would become president of the United States. Who knows what Matt Groening and company are going to predict next. Courtesy of YouTube, you can watch the clips of Hanks inThe Simpsons Moviebelow to see for yourself if the scenes feel like anaccurate prediction of the actor’s illness. You can also check out some tweets fromSimpsonsfans about the supposed prediction below.
