Earlier this year, Adult Swim parted ways with Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland after he was charged with felony domestic abuse. “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,” a tweet posted to the show’s account read. The charges were later dropped due to “insufficient evidence,” but Roiland is not coming back (he was reportedly barely involved with the show, anyway).
In a translated interview with the French publication Première, Adult Swim channel president Michael Ouweleen discussed how Rick and Morty will move forward without Roiland.
“He will be replaced in dubbing,” Ouweleen said. When asked if that means imitators, he replied, “No, not imitators… In any case, the idea is that we feel that they are the same characters. Listen: voices are obviously super important in an animated series. And, of course, none of us wanted to go through what we went through. But I’ve been in animation for a long time, and I know that what makes a series is its different parts coming together. If the voices are obviously a big part, there is also the writing of the characters, their design… I have reason to believe that the transition will go well.”
A Rick and Morty executive producer said that they’re “still in the recruitment process” of finding a replacement — or replacements, as Roiland voices both Rick and Morty, and many other characters, adding, “It’s a rather unique situation… I’ll take an example: there have been several great Bugs Bunny voice actors, and I love what Jeff Bennett has done with them. But it’s not Mel Blanc! And yet we recognize the character. I even think that for Rick and Morty we will do even better… It will be fine. It’ll be great.”
Rick and Morty season 7 premieres later this year.
(Via Première)