Let me know if the community thinks this is an unacceptable post, and I’ll delete it. I think it’s a bit too relevant to discount.
Article text:
Replacements are now starting to be announced for the Rick and Morty creator’s roles on his animated television shows.
Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty has been airing in the Cartoon Network nighttime block since December 2013. Following the exploits of mad scientist Rick Sanchez and his grandson Morty Smith, the series has garnered a huge fanbase and a string of prestigious awards to boot.
Rick and Morty was created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, with Roiland voicing both of the titular characters from the pilot episode through to the end of Season 6.
Alongside Rick and Morty, Roiland, along with Mike McMahan, created Solar Opposites. The Fox Broadcasting Company initially shelved Solar Opposites before the show was picked up by Hulu, premiering in May 2020. Roiland, once again, voices the lead character, Korvo Solar-Opposites, in his own animated television show alongside Thomas Middleditch as Terry Solar-Opposites, Sean Gianbrome as Yumyulack Solar-Opposites, Mary Mack as Jesse Wearsprada Solar-Opposites, Sagan McMahan as The Pupa, and Christina Hendricks as Cherie.
Both Rick and Morty and Solar Opposites are hugely popular, but that reputation would be tarnished when creator Justin Roiland was charged with felony domestic violence back in 2020. Although the charge, domestic battery, and false imprisonment were made in August 2020 following the alleged incident in the January of that year, news of the case was not divulged until 2023, when NBC released the findings.
Roiland was released on bail and plead not guilty. His pre-trial was scheduled for April 2023. Throughout the duration of the events, Roiland has pleaded his innocence, condemning the allegations made about him. That said, following the news of the charges, multiple others came forward alleging the Rick and Morty creator of other crimes, including sexual harassment and predatory behavior towards minors.
Later in January, Adult Swim dropped Roiland from Rick and Morty, and just days ago, it was announced that all his roles would be recast for future seasons. Also in January, 20th Century Television shared that Roiland would be removed from Solar Opposites and its sister show, Koala Man, amid the domestic abuse controversy.
So far, replacements for Rick and Morty have not yet been revealed, but his role as Korvo Solar-Opposites will now be played by a Disney star (per Variety).
Dan Stevens, known for his roles in Downton Abbey and FX’s Legion, made his big commercial splash in The Walt Disney Company’s live-action billion-dollar hit, Beauty and the Beast (2017). As the title role of The Beast, Stevens shared the screen with Harry Potter alum, Emma Watson, who played Belle. And the actor will now cement himself in the world of adult animation by voicing Korvo moving forward.
Solar Opposites will directly address the voice change using the sci-fi world of the show to its advantage. A first listen of Stevens voicing Korvo can be heard in the teaser footage below:
As for Roiland, charges against the writer, producer, and actor were dropped in March due to insufficient evidence, but that wasn’t enough for either Adult Swim or 20th Century Television to bring him back for his beloved roles. At the time of the dismissal, Roiland shared on social media that he was “still deeply shaken by the horrible lies that were reported about [him] during this process.”
Solar Opposites will return for its fourth season on August 14, streaming on Hulu. As for Rick and Morty, following the sixth season’s end in late 2022, Cartoon Network will see the series through to a tenth season.
