• The co-creator of Rick and Morty, Justin Roiland, is leaving the show’s production.
• Roiland voices both the main characters as well as many side characters apart from his writing and production duties.
• Adult Swim, which is currently busy with season seven of the show, says Rick and Morty will continue without Roiland.

Justin Roiland, the co-creator of Rick and Morty has departed from the super popular show’s production, according to carrier Adult Swim. Roiland voices both Rick and Morty and a huge variety of other characters, including show regulars like Mr Meeseeks and more.

Despite his departure, Rick and Morty is set to continue: “Adult Swim has ended its association with Justin Roiland,” the official Rick and Morty Twitter account noted in a post. “Rick and Morty will continue. The talented and dedicated crew are hard at work on Season 7.”

The channel, owned by Warner Bros. Discovery’s Cartoon Network, ended its association with Roiland after the voice actor, writer, director and animator was charged with domestic violence relating to a 2020 incident between him and an unnamed woman he was living with at the time.

Roiland has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial for corporal injury and false imprisonment by menace, fraud, violence or deceit.

Roiland and co-creator Dan Harmon launched Rick and Morty in 2013 and changed western animation with the show’s surrealist humour, dark themes and discontinuous storytelling. The show is amongst the most popular animated series of all time with six seasons and earning the creators 100 million dollars in merchandising and media revenue alone.

Since its first season, the show has also influenced a host of works including Solar Opposites, Star Trek Lower Decks, Final Space, Big Mouth and Paradise PD to name a few.

Roiland’s voice acting has been a cornerstone for the series, with his ad-libbed humour colouring many of the show’s iconic scenes and episodes. He will no longer take part in the show’s writing nor in its voice acting.

It is unknown at the moment whether or not Roiland has enough voice lines recorded to finish season seven or if Adult Swim will seek other actors to replace Roiland. Despite his ongoing legal woes, Roiland’s brand of humour is a highly recognisable piece of Rick and Morty and saw the show reach its monumental heights.

It will be interesting to see what changes come to the show without Roiland at the helm.

Apart from his exit at Adult Swim, Roiland is also departing from his game studio and High on Life creators Squanch Games, according to Polygon.

[Image – Adult Swim]