Rick and Morty is the ever-popular Adult Swim show starring the mad scientist Rick Sanchez and his grandson Mortimer Chauncey ‘Morty’ Smith Sr and their frequent misadventures through space, time, and the multiverse. The show is regularly praised for its hilarious comedy, which is born from the mind of its creators, Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon.
But controversy has struck the show, as Roiland has been suddenly fired. Now, many fans are wondering who will replace him as the voice of Rick and Morty and if the show will continue past season seven.
Who will voice Rick and Morty for Season 7?
Roiland provided both the roles for Rick and Morty, so they will now have to be recast. As of yet, there isn’t any actor in the running to replace him, and the voice actors for season seven are yet to be revealed, but there are options for the show going forward. Current cast members such as Chris Parnell and Harmon could step up and take the task of voicing Rick and Morty, or Adult Swim might choose to recast the roles with a completely new cast member.
Any potential issue for recasting the role is getting the voice right. There are currently two choices facing Adult Swim here. While Roiland’s voices for Rick and Morty are iconic, they wouldn’t be too hard for professional voice actors to imitate. This would ultimately be the safe choice for the show, fans are very attached to continuity and keeping things the same, but it does come with the risk that the voices might come off as just noticeably different from Roiland’s and sound like a poor imitation.
The second riskier option is to let a new actor give their own take and give Rick and Morty a new voice. This could be explained away very quickly within the show, as it’s common for it to feature multiverses, alternate versions of the same character, and frequent fourth-wall breaks. So inventing an in-show reason or just outright acknowledging why both Rick and Morty have different voices is unlikely to be difficult, but getting fans to accept the change is harder.
But ultimately, recasting roles midway through a show or film series is nothing new. Don Cheadle was able to give his own take on War Machine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after Terrance Howard was fired from the role, and in the world of animation, Mila Kunis replaced Lacey Chabert as Meg in Family Guy after the first season. For the most part, these changes have worked out well, and, likely, this change will too.
Why was Justin Roiland fired and canceled for Rick and Morty?
Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland have been fired from his role as showrunner and voice actor, and all ties with him and Adult Swim have been cut. This abrupt firing came because Roiland is charged with a felony domestic abuse charge in Orange County, California, on Jan 12, 2023. He is also charged with a count of domestic battery with corporal injury and one count of false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud, or deceit.
The alleged incident is said to have taken place with an unnamed Jane Doe, who he was dating at the time. Roiland has pled not guilty, with his attorney T. Edward Welbourn saying in a statement earlier this month that the coverage of the case has been “inaccurate,” and he has every expectation that the case will be dismissed.
It’s not uncommon for studios to publicly sever ties with actors who are mired in controversy. In 2020, Warner Bros. (now Warner Bros. Discovery) severed all ties with Johnny Depp after he lost in UK courts over allegations that he was a “wife beater.”
Will Rick and Morty Season 8 be canceled?
With the main voice actor, co-creator, and co-showrunner of the show fired, fans are unsurprisingly concerned for the future of Rick and Morty. But it’s unlikely that the show will be forced to stop after season seven.
The Hollywood Reporter has said that sources tell them the show will continue with new voice actors, and fellow co-creator and co-showrunner Harmon will become the sole showrunner.
The show has also been locked in by Adult Swim, which is unlikely to change. In 2018 they ordered 70 more episodes, and currently, less than half of them have been created so far. Under the current deal, the show is locked in until season 10.
They should have a contest for fans to submit their best impressions. And the winner gets a contract to work on the show. The best actors are the ones who actually like and love the show which creates better episodes.
They hired actor Landon Ashworth to voice Rick and Morty