Dan Harmon recently finally addressed the fractured relationship between him and Rick and Morty co-creator, Justin Roiland. Roiland faces a series of serious accusations and misconduct and the legal trouble he finds himself in has caused his projects to find replacements for his voice roles. Probably the most notable of the properties is Rick and Morty, in which Roiland played a prominent role. Season 7 of the show has now premiered with new cast members in place and Dan Harmon insists that the animated comedy will not suffer in quality without Roiland’s involvement. “We want the show to speak for itself. We believe in the strength of the season and our new voices and we want to preserve the viewing experience for fans.”
Scott Marder, the showrunner for Rick and Morty, talks with The Hollywood Reporter along with Dan Harmon about the tough task of finding voice talents that can seamlessly replace Roiland. Marder and Harmon address why they felt the need to cast two voice actors, Ian Cardoni (Rick) and Harry Belden (Morty), instead of one for both Rick and Morty like Roiland was. Marder explained, “There were different schools of thought. For sheer quality of life, it’d be easier for the amount of work required for both characters. We watched it over the years wear down on Roiland’s voice. It felt unfair to do that to someone.” Harmon adds, “In retrospect, it’s also smart because we want the fan experience to continue with as little disruption as possible. In a weird way, catering to the idea that there’s been a replacement of a single human being — an auteur — is going to play into the disruption factor. We really want people to keep believing these characters are real. “
THR also inquired if Roiland’s dismissal changed anything creative about the show besides the voices. Marder pointed out that they were fortunately prepared for future seasons in advance. “No. We were already seasons ahead — before the writers’ strike, we didn’t work on anything while we were on strike — but we were already far ahead. Since I’ve been part of things, it’s been Harmon and me and our team and we’ve been motoring ahead on our own without him. When he left, he only really left by name.”
Do you think Cardoni and Belden did a good job replacing Roiland? Let us know in the comments.