The much-anticipated season seven of the animated show Rick and Morty will have a familiar yet distinctly different sound following the firing of the show’s co-creator, Justin Roiland, after allegations of domestic abuse were made against him. With Roiland absent from the voice booth this season, fans have been left curious about how the role will be filled – considering that he voiced both main characters of the show.
The Rick and Morty creative team, led by Executive Producer Steve Levy, shed light on their plans at the San Diego Comic-Con 2023 weekend. The details were shared at the “Adult Swim Festival on the Green,” where Levy and his team admitted that they are close to finalising a replacement for Roiland’s voice.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, fans worried about a dramatic change to their characters have nothing to worry about. Levy assured them, stating, “We are closing in on the end of our recast process. It’s gonna be great. I am thoroughly impressed with everything that’s going on, including all the work on season seven.”
Further addressing the possibility of ‘character adjustments’ to reflect the change in voice actors, Levy made it clear that the aim is to maintain continuity. He mentioned casting vocal “soundalikes” to keep the characters’ auditory presence consistent. Explaining this, Levy said, “It’s soundalikes. The characters are the same characters — no change.”
Considering the sizeable contribution from Roiland, and the nature of his firing, the question of who will take over the series’ vocal roles is rife with speculation. Adult Swim has remained tight-lipped, yet Levy has maintained that the essence of the characters will remain untouched.
With episodes of the upcoming season already complete and set for release, Levy hinted at a premiere just on the horizon. All six seasons are available to watch on Netflix for fans wanting to catch up with the show.
