"How does this beloved show hold up now that we know the one behind the mic, the guy at the drawing board, is a violent misogynist?"--Elias D, 10th grade
The creator of cult classic Rick and Morty, Justin Roiland, has recently been revealed to be incredibly problematic, not only through online creepery but court-addressed domestic violence. What does this mean for the future of the show?
Rick and Morty is a critically acclaimed adult cartoon that has been viewed over 10 Billion times globally according to warnermedia.com, and the brainchild of co-creators Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon. In January of 2023, records were made public of his arrest in May of 2020, where he was charged with counts of 'domestic battery with corporal injury' and 'false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud, or deceit'. A pre-trial hearing was held in October 2020, during which Roiland pleaded innocent to both charges, but a trial date has not yet been set.
On Jan 25, 2023, series distributor Adult Swim confirmed Roiland's termination from the show, leaving both of the titular characters’ roles vacant. The progressive content explored in the show had shielded Roiland from scorn in the past, but, since his recent charges forced the show to cut ties with him entirely, he’s been essentially kicked out from under the umbrella of their massive fanbase. Adult Swim confirmed the show will continue for five more seasons due to a previous contract with Cartoon Network, though the replacement voice actor(s) remains uncertain. Such a decision does raise a series of ethical questions of the future of the show, each worth individual discussion.
Should we reevaluate our view on Rick and Morty?
The show has historically been indiscriminate with the touchy topics its humor covers, much like its sitcom siblings, South Park and Family Guy. However, unlike South Park, its creators are vocally leftist, much like its audience.
Throughout the six-season span of Rick and Morty, the show has showcased themes like sexuality, reproductive rights, discrimination, and substance abuse as a medium for coping. All explored through the show’s signature lens of nihilism vs existentialism, displayed in the opposing views of world(s)-weary Rick and naive overthinker Morty. Much of American television glosses over these issues, so their prominence in such a well-known show is undeniably helping people talk about these issues-which-must-not-be-named, which is much needed in today’s society.
However, boiled down to its bare bones, the show glorifies an alcoholic white man with a superiority complex and no emotional intelligence, and his abusive relationship with his grandson. The conflict is almost equal in depth to Rick’s ever-evolving moral compass. On one hand, you have the show’s lack of fear to explore controversial subjects, but also the undeniable bias each issue is viewed through, so one has to question the integrity of what ultimately makes it to the screen.
In short, the answer is yes. We’ll have to reevaluate the intentions behind every word or frame that makes it onscreen. How does this beloved show hold up now that we know the one behind the mic, the guy at the drawing board, is a violent misogynist? This is the question we’ll have to answer as we, the fanbase, rewatch the show, or see what the franchise morphs into in its coming seasons.
Should Roiland’s previous parts be redubbed? His voice imitated or completely redone?
According to video game website GameSpot,, Roiland took little part in the writing process of the show after season 2, but any way you try to frame it, he was the primary voice actor throughout all six seasons. Roiland was always given a lot of leash when it came to ad-libbing and riffing on the characters he voiced, both namesakes of the show, so his continual influence on the series is undeniable. Not only did the voice actor play both Rick and Morty, he voiced countless other background characters, including Mr. Meeseeks, Mr. Poopybutthole, and Mr. Always-Wants-to-be-Hunted.
It’s unlikely, due to the immense effort and money required, that the show will redub the previous five seasons, but as previously stated, the contract demands four more. Now that Roiland’s been removed from the show, the voice acting roles are left open, as well as the decision of how to fill them. Social media has apparently made this decision for Adult Swim, though, with fans of the show ranging from casual viewers to professional voice actors flooding Tiktok and YouTube with their auditions.
It remains to be seen who gets the spot, since not only have Adult Swim not provided an outlet through which to submit auditions, the company has publicly confirmed the decision will be left to producers. The court of public opinion may still end up having some bearing on the future of the show’s voices, but time will tell.
Frankly, should the show even continue?
This is a classic case of “can we separate the art from the artist?” but the key question here is how the artist benefits if we keep enjoying the art.
At the end of the day, the decision of whether or not to continue watching the show is subjective for each viewer, and it’s a question of whether or not the ideals the show has stood for outweigh the harmful actions of the co-creator. Roiland will no longer receive royalties (at least from any official content or memorabilia) from future Rick and Morty, so if he is indeed replaced as the show carries on to its seventh season, viewers can rest easy that they aren’t putting money in his pocket. However, the show is still his creation, and ‘Adult Swim will have to pay him to keep it on air’ (wegotthiscovered.tv), though it’s still unclear what other money he still can make without his contracts made public.
According to video game website GameSpot,, Roiland took little part in the writing process of the show after season 2, but any way you try to frame it, he was the primary voice actor throughout all six seasons. Roiland was always given a lot of leash when it came to ad-libbing and riffing on the characters he voiced, both namesakes of the show, so his continual influence on the series is undeniable. Not only did the voice actor play both Rick and Morty, he voiced countless other background characters, including Mr. Meeseeks, Mr. Poopybutthole, and Mr. Always-Wants-to-be-Hunted.
It’s unlikely, due to the immense effort and money required, that the show will redub the previous five seasons, but as previously stated, the contract demands four more. Now that Roiland’s been removed from the show, the voice acting roles are left open, as well as the decision of how to fill them. Social media has apparently made this decision for Adult Swim, though, with fans of the show ranging from casual viewers to professional voice actors flooding Tiktok and YouTube with their auditions.
It remains to be seen who gets the spot, since not only have Adult Swim not provided an outlet through which to submit auditions, the company has publicly confirmed the decision will be left to producers. The court of public opinion may still end up having some bearing on the future of the show’s voices, but time will tell.
Frankly, should the show even continue?
This is a classic case of “can we separate the art from the artist?” but the key question here is how the artist benefits if we keep enjoying the art.
At the end of the day, the decision of whether or not to continue watching the show is subjective for each viewer, and it’s a question of whether or not the ideals the show has stood for outweigh the harmful actions of the co-creator. Roiland will no longer receive royalties (at least from any official content or memorabilia) from future Rick and Morty, so if he is indeed replaced as the show carries on to its seventh season, viewers can rest easy that they aren’t putting money in his pocket. However, the show is still his creation, and ‘Adult Swim will have to pay him to keep it on air’ (wegotthiscovered.tv), though it’s still unclear what other money he still can make without his contracts made public.
So what do us viewers and the Rick and Morty team do moving forward?
The show’s executive team seems to mostly have their decision on the future of the show, save for the recasting necessary for the next 4 seasons. The general future of the show appears clear, but we can’t forget that dedicating our viewership is our power as fans. The future of America’s most popular comedy is in all of our hands collectively, but the decision is yours individually.
The show’s executive team seems to mostly have their decision on the future of the show, save for the recasting necessary for the next 4 seasons. The general future of the show appears clear, but we can’t forget that dedicating our viewership is our power as fans. The future of America’s most popular comedy is in all of our hands collectively, but the decision is yours individually.
