Did 'The Simpsons' Predict Coronavirus? Tom Hanks' 2007 Guest Appearance In 'The Simpsons Movie' Sparks Debate — Watch

In addition to being one of the longest-running shows in history, The Simpsons has been at the center of many a controversy. For example, shortly after Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, were killed — along with seven others — in a helicopter crash, various conspiracy theories began springing up that suggested his death was predicted in a 2017 episode of the show.

Now, there are new conspiracy theories surrounding the The Simpsons that suggest that the coronavirus — and, specifically, Tom Hanks' affliction with COVID-19 — was also predicted in an old episode of the show.

So, did The Simpsons predict coronavirus, and Tom Hanks' affliction with the virus? Let's look at what we know about these latest conspiracy theories.

1. Did The Simpsons predict coronavirus? Tom Hanks' 2007 cameo in The Simpsons Movie is being interpreted as such.

In 2007, The Simpsons Movie was released, and Tom Hanks — who is currently under quarantine with his wife, Rita Wilson, for testing positive for COVID-19 — had a small cameo in the film. After advertising for "a new Grand Canyon," Hanks' cartoon avatar turns to the camera and says, "this is Tom Hanks saying, if you see me in person, please, leave me be." Some fans are interpreting this statement as a "prediction" of both the coronavirus and Hanks' current seclusion.

2. The plot of The Simpsons Movie is also being debated as a coronavirus prediction.

The 2007 film, The Simpsons Movie, is also being interpreted as a "coronavirus prediction," and that overall claim may have more validity than the isolated comment made by Hanks in his cameo. In a nutshell, The Simpsons Movie revolves around the family patriarch, Homer, accidentally unleashing a deadly virus onto Springfield after polluting the water, causing Springfield to go on lockdown and forcing its residents to stay indoors until further notice.

3. There's a 1993 episode of The Simpsons that spoke about a "virus from Asia."

The 1993 episode of The Simpsons called "Marge In Chains" is also being viewed as a "coronavirus prediction." In this episode, the family patriarch Homer once again unleashes a virus onto Springfield, and once again, he accidentally did so. The virus originated in Asia — specifically, Osaka, Japan — and spread throughout Springfield after an irresponsible factory worker sneezed onto Homer's package.

4. This isn't the first time that The Simpsons has been talked about for "predicting the future."

In addition to allegedly predicting the Kobe Bryant death, The Simpsons has also been credited for "predicting the future" for a number of world events. Some of the world events that the show has been credited with predicting include Donald Trump's presidency, the Siegfield & Roy tiger attack, the Higgs-Boson particle, and the Ebola virus outbreak.

5. Some fans are skeptical.

While there are some fans who believe that The Simpsons has "never been wrong yet" and thus is correctly predicting the outbreak of the coronavirus, there are some that are skeptical. Some suggest the connection between Hanks' current state and The Simpsons's prediction of it is "a reach."

6. The connection seems tenuous.

Perhaps the best way to sum up the connection between The Simpsons and the coronavirus prediction is that the connection is tenuous at best. While, certainly, there are some things that are eerie coincidences, it's important to note that there are major distinctions between what the show (and the film) depicted, and what's going on now. For example, the 1993 episode about the "virus from Asia" called the virus "The Osaka Flu," not the coronavirus. Additionally, Hanks' line in The Simpsons Movie to "leave him be" could be a reference to his desire for privacy, not to his illness. Finally, the event that caused Springfield to go into lockdown was thanks to Homer's incompetence after a water cleanup.