Adult Swim: After learning that voice actor Justin Roiland has been charged with felony domestic abuse in California, Adult Swim has opted to end its affiliation with him.
Even though Roiland had a key part in the creation and continuance of Rick and Morty, the TV network didn’t think twice about making the crucial decision.
The news
Marie Moore, senior VP of communications for Adult Swim and Cartoon Network, confirmed the claims in a statement released on Tuesday:
“Adult Swim has ended its association with Justin Roiland.”
According to a post from the official Rick and Morty Twitter account, the show will go on without Roiland.
“Rick and Morty will continue,” the tweet said. “The talented and dedicated crew are hard at work on Season 7.”
Adult Swim
Adult Swim is a block of programming on Cartoon Network that mostly consists of animated material targeted at adults and airs late at night.
The block, which debuted in 2001, has become well-known for its varied and occasionally avant-garde programming, which consists of a blend of original shows, acquired programs, and feature films.
Among the most popular shows to have shown on Adult Swim are:
- Rick and Morty
- Boondocks
- Aqua Teen Hunger Force
- The Venture Bros
This block’s programming is well-known for its quirky comedy as well as its mature themes and imagery.
Adult Swim has a reputation for cultivating a strong sense of community among its fans due to the fact that several of its episodes have become cultural phenomena and have inspired merchandise, fan art, and even live events.
All things considered, Adult Swim provides an outlet for animators to experiment and push the boundaries of animated television as well as a destination for fans looking for something distinctive and out of the ordinary.
Roiland
Since Rick and Morty’s continuation has been confirmed, Justin Roiland’s voice parts will be replaced.
Since the show’s debut, Roiland has been acknowledged as a co-creator.
After his departure, Dan Harmon will be the sole showrunner left.
Rick and Morty will air until season 10 as already guaranteed.
Justin Roiland continues to work on other projects while departing, such as providing the voice of the lead character in the Hulu comedy Solar Opposites.
He also produces and contributes voice to Koala Man, which will be released on January 9.
Additionally, Roiland has a deal with 20th Television Animation.
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The charges
On January 12, Justin Roiland allegedly faced the following charges:
- One count of domestic battery with corporal injury
- One count of false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud, or deceit
According to the unnamed woman Roiland was dating at the time, the claims are connected to an alleged incident from 2020.
In 2020, he entered a plea of not guilty and was released after paying a $50,000 bond.
Since then, Roiland has attended several pretrial sessions.
He’s supposed to show up in court on April 27.
Over the previous month, the media coverage, according to his attorney T. Edward Welbourn, hasn’t been accurate.
“To be clear, not only is Justin innocent, but we also have every expectation that this matter is on course to be dismissed once the district attorney’s office has completed its methodical review of the evidence.”
Replacement
Since Adult Swim cut relations with Justin Roiland, Rick and Morty must now hire voices for the two main characters as well as additional recurring characters.
After the departure was announced, people posted several casting suggestions online.
Chris Pratt’s Super Mario casting was made fun of by many Twitter users, who also suggested him for the role.
Others suggested Danny DeVito and Charlie Day for the roles of the two main characters.
Another person proposed pairing Tom Holland’s Morty with Pratt’s Rick.
The show’s progress
The popularity of the show has been steadily declining since season 3.
For instance, the sixth season’s episodes averaged fewer than 600,000 US viewers per night.
Rick and Morty could be canceled if viewing figures keep dropping.
Rick’s characteristics have been prominent in the show for more than ten years, therefore their disappearance may indicate that Rick and Morty are in their last season.