Adult Swim’s “Rick and Morty” has proven to be one of the most successful animated TV shows of all time, ranking fourth on ScreenRant’s “12 Best Animated TV Shows Ever” list and 15 on IMDb’s “Top 250 TV Shows” list.
With Season 7’s release date recently being released, it is time for Rick and Morty fans to get excited.
However, the beloved show is undergoing some serious changes.
In 2020, one of the show’s creators, Justin Roiland, faced charges of domestic abuse, leading Adult Swim to cut ties with him. These charges were not made public until January 2023.
A message from Adult Swim stated, “Adult Swim has ended its association with Justin Roiland. “Rick and Morty” will continue. The talented and dedicated crew are hard at work on Season 7.”
In March 2023, California prosecutors dropped the charges as there was not enough evidence to prove them in court.
A post on Roiland’s Instagram account said, “I have always known that these claims were false — and I never had any doubt that this day would come. I’m thankful that this case has been dismissed but, at the same time, I’m still deeply shaken by the horrible lies that were reported about me during this process. . . now that the legal case has ended, I’m determined to move forward and focus both on my creative projects and restoring my good name.”
Even though the claims came to be false, Roiland is still disassociated with Adult Swim.
Along with co-creating the show, Roiland wrote and produced all 61 episodes of the previous seasons and directed one episode. He is also the voice of both of the titular characters, along with providing voices for several side characters including Mr. Meeseeks, Mr. Poopybutthole and almost every character in the fan-favorite “Interdimensional Cable” episodes, which is essentially Roiland improvising in the voice recording booth.
While Rick and Morty is a comedy series, one of its highest praises is how well it balances comedy with drama and heart, being labeled as “one of the most emotionally torturous shows on the air.” The show has proven to be hilarious to fans while also developing upon themes of broken family, depression, suicide, identity, getting old and inevitable death.
It is ambiguous if the show will still retain its accomplishments in these areas without Roiland.
Roiland also serves as co-creator and voices for another show, “Solar Opposites,” whose most recent season aired on Aug. 14, 2023, without Roiland’s return.
The voice change of Roiland’s previous character, Korvo, was cleverly written into the show’s plot.
A few months before the Season 4 premiere, Hulu released a teaser on their YouTube channel, showcasing Korvo getting hit in the neck with a dart. Another character, Yumyulack, uses a “voice-fixing ray” to fix Korvo’s voice, but it does not return to normal. Korvo is now British, as he is voiced by “Downton Abbey” actor Dan Stevens.
As of right now, it is unclear to the general public how “Rick and Morty” is going to explain its voice changes.
Be sure to check out the premiere of Rick and Morty Season 7 on Oct. 15 to officially examine how the show will be different.
