Tom Kenny, the voice behind the beloved cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants, has revealed the character’s superpower.
Speaking at the 2024 Motor City Comic Con, Kenny explained that SpongeBob's neurodivergence is his "superpower."
“SpongeBob's kind of on the spectrum too as a character,” Kenny said.
He further recalled a moment when a person approached him and asked if SpongeBob was autistic.
“It was the first time I’d ever been asked this question — a person who was obviously on the spectrum came up to me and said, ‘I have a question for you, Tom Kenny. Is SpongeBob autistic?’” the voice actor shared.
Kenny recalled answering, “Of course! I said, ‘You know what? That's his superpower, the same way that’s your superpower.’”
Kenny has previously spoken about SpongeBob's autistic traits, saying in a 2012 interview with Marc Maron.
"I don't know what there is in that show that talks to kids that are on the autism spectrum, but more than other cartoons... because SpongeBob as a character is a little autistic. Obsessed with his job, very hardworking, gets really really deep into something,” he said at the time.
SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series that first aired on Nickelodeon as a sneak peek after the 1999 Kids' Choice Awards on May 1, 1999, and officially premiered on July 17, 1999.
