The popular show “Rick and Morty” has officially introduced the new voice actors who will be taking over from the star, Justin Roiland.
In the Season 7 premiere on Sunday night, Ian Cardoni stepped into the role of Rick Sanchez, while Harry Belden assumed the character of Morty Smith. Notably, the opening credits no longer featured the familiar “Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon” but solely showcased the “Rick and Morty” logo.
The new voices for these characters were initially heard in the Season 7 trailer, which made its debut in September. However, Adult Swim had kept the identity of the actors behind these voices under wraps. Screeners for the show released prior to the season’s launch did not include credits at the end. Although representatives for the show had initially promised to reveal the voice actors’ names in advance of the Season 7 premiere on October 15, Adult Swim changed course and, in an email, stated, “We’re actually going to continue to keep the names of the new voice cast actors confidential until Sunday night’s east coast premiere.”
It’s worth noting that Justin Roiland was let go by Adult Swim in January after facing domestic violence charges. He was not only the co-creator of “Rick and Morty” alongside Dan Harmon but also lent his voice to several other characters on the show. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office later dismissed the charges in March. In September, NBC published a report in which it alleged that Roiland had leveraged his fame over the years to attract and meet young women, some of whom were underage. One of the women accused Roiland of sexual assault, but Roiland has denied these allegations through his attorney.
“Rick and Morty” revolves around the adventures of the titular grandfather-grandson pair as they traverse the universe. In addition to the trailer, Adult Swim playfully referenced the new voices in the summary for the upcoming season: “Rick and Morty are back and sounding more like themselves than ever,” it reads. “It’s season seven, and the possibilities are endless: what’s up with Jerry? EVIL Summer?! And will they ever go back to the high school?! Maybe not! But let’s find out! There’s probably less piss than last season. ‘Rick and Morty,’ 100 years! Or at least until season 10!”
“Rick and Morty” made its debut in 2013 and has garnered critical acclaim. Season 7, set to premiere on Adult Swim on October 15, will consist of 10 new episodes.
Justin Roiland was also the co-creator and lead voice actor for Hulu’s animated comedy series “Solar Opposites,” and it has been announced that Dan Stevens will take over the voice of the lead character, Korvo.
