During its heyday, The Simpsons thrived not only with its regular stable of Springfield residents but with occasional one-off characters who proved utterly brilliant. Foremost among their ranks is Hank Scorpio: the maniacal supervillain who also happened to be a terrific boss. Season 8, Episode 2, "You Only Move Twice," is a fan favorite largely because of Albert Brooks' hilarious performance as the nicest guy ever to blackmail the UN with a doomsday device. Yet he only appeared once more: very briefly in Season 22, Episode 11, "500 Keys," in a single joke that lasted only a few seconds.
More was planned for him. In fact, The Simpsons producers intended to use him as the antagonist in 2007's The Simpsons Movie. It didn't happen for a variety of reasons, and the movie went in a different direction for its villain. Scorpio would have made an excellent fit, but other factors ultimately made the prospect untenable.
What Is The Simpsons Movie About?
The Simpsons Movie entails a calamity that befalls Springfield when Homer -- through a combination of negligence and distraction via a dubious all-you-can-eat donuts offer -- pollutes Lake Springfield with a silo full of pig feces. The EPA responds by sealing the city in a giant dome, which accidentally cuts Springfield off from food and other essential supplies. EPA head Russ Cargill decides to destroy the city rather than take responsibility for the debacle. Homer and his family come to the rescue in typical Simpsons fashion and manage to destroy the dome with the bomb after a series of absurd complications.
Cargill's role in the film is tailor-made for Hank Scorpio. Both characters are a commentary on how society enables and rewards monstrous people for superficial reasons. Sealing a city in a glass dome is exactly the kind of plot Scorpio might envision, and a position in the government would make sense after his run as the owner of Globex Corporation in "You Only Move Twice." Cargill, who sufficed as a villain, lacked the personality -- and more importantly, the laughs -- that Scorpio possessed in spades. Brooks voiced both characters, making the question all the more pressing.
Why The Simpsons Movie Swapped Hank Scorpio for Russ Cargill
A 2016 article in The Ringer spoke to multiple Simpsons writers and producers about Hank Scorpio's genesis, including the reasons for dropping him from The Simpsons Movie. The biggest reason, ironically, appeared to be the respect they held for Brooks' performance. He improvised many of his lines in "You Only Move Twice," which the producers credit for making the character so popular. They felt that attempting to recreate that would be folly and diminish the character's standing.
There are other reasons as well, though they stem largely from narrative necessity. In "You Only Move Twice," Hank and Homer are friends, with Hank fully supportive of everything his buddy tells him and Homer cheerfully overlooking all manner of evil because the evildoer is so nice to him. That clashes with the movie's need to put the two in opposition and could've further damaged the character's reputation among fans. Furthermore, being the head of the EPA seems like a step down for Scorpio, who finished "You Only Move Twice" with control of the East Coast and angling for more. Cargill -- played as a mid-level bureaucrat who has to hustle President Schwarzenegger into his scheme -- makes a better fit for the story.
Brooks was a staple guest on The Simpsons, going all the way back to Season 1, Episode 7, "The Call of the Simpsons," where he played a hustling RV salesman. He could have conceivably done with Cargill what he did with Scorpio if the muse had struck the same way. That they went with a new character for the movie instead of pushing a beloved older one into a situation that might have diminished him speaks volumes about their respect for Brooks' work. Hank Scorpio is beloved for a reason. It's telling that The Simpsons never forgot it.