Mark Wahlberg’s Ted Comeback Just Got a Major Boost

Mark Wahlberg’s Ted comeback is ramping up, with a fresh report detailing his role in the animated continuation — and creator Seth MacFarlane is already cheering it on.

Mark Wahlberg is officially back in the Ted business, and Seth MacFarlane sounds downright energized about it. The long-running comedy franchise is getting an animated continuation that picks up right where Ted 2 left off, and production is already moving.

Wahlberg returns as John Bennett

MacFarlane confirmed that Wahlberg is reprising John Bennett for the new animated series and did not hold back on the praise. As he put it:

'He just took to it like a duck to water. He was fantastic, and you instantly know that it's him.'

Yes, it continues the movies

The animated series is a direct sequel to the films, not a prequel or a redo. It picks up immediately after the events of Ted 2, with key players returning and a few new faces stepping in.

• Returning: Amanda Seyfried and Jessica Barth
• New: Liz Richman and Kyle Mooney

The creative setup

MacFarlane says co-creators Brad Walsh and Paul Corrigan are steering the show in a way that threads the needle: fresh ideas without losing what made Ted, well, Ted. His read on the series’ potential is confident:

'It's a great show that I think, if people latch onto it, could go for a long time.'

He also noted that making this animated sequel actually streamlines the weekly grind compared to the other show’s hybrid approach:

'It's certainly less complex than producing a show with an animated CGI teddy bear on a weekly basis, which makes you feel like you're doing a Marvel movie eight times a season.'

A rare voice gig for Wahlberg

This marks only Wahlberg's second voice-acting role. The first was Blue Falcon in the animated film Scoob! So if you were curious how his voice plays in a fully animated Ted world, MacFarlane's comments should ease the concern.

Meanwhile, the other Ted show keeps rolling

The franchise already expanded with a live-action prequel series on Peacock, and that train is still moving: Ted season 2 starts streaming on March 5.

Bottom line: one franchise, two shows, and MacFarlane openly bullish about the animated sequel’s staying power. Sounds like Ted is about to get very busy again.