‘Rick and Morty’ Fans Suspect Justin Roiland’s Replacement Will Be AI

Rick & Morty viewers are growing impatient over the secrecy surrounding the show’s casting following show co-creator and voice actor Justin Roiland’s ousting, leaving some concerned that there won’t be an actual replacement — and the theory is not as far-fetched as it may sound.

The Adult Swim animated series is set to premiere the first of 10 new episodes on October 15. However, details over Roiland’s replacement are still under wraps after the network ended their relationship with him due to domestic violence charges. 

Roiland previously voiced mad scientist Rick Sanchez, his grandson Morty, and a variety of supporting characters, including NoobNoob and Mr. Poopybutthole.

In August, the network teased frustrated viewers in a press release, writing, “Rick and Morty are back and sounding more like themselves than ever!”

In anticipation of the new episodes, one viewer took to the Rick & Morty Reddit page to share their theory that Roiland is being replaced by an artificial intelligence-generated voice, given that no new actors have been announced for the upcoming season and an executive producer confirmed in July that the new voices will be “sound alikes,” unlike the replacement for Roiland’s Solar Opposites, which cast a British actor to take over a main role.

“I mean the timing is perfect don’t you think? AI is becoming a reality where this could be the case,” wrote the user. 

A majority of the comments in response to the post were negative, with many bringing up that replacing actors with AI is a major part of the ongoing Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) strike. During the union’s July press conference, it was revealed that the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) offered a “groundbreaking AI proposal,” which allowed background performers to be scanned, paid for a single day’s work, and allow studios to own their scan and likeness, and use it for future works with “no consent and no compensation.” The proposal was not well-received by SAG-AFTRA.

A Reddit user commented on the original post, “This is actually one of the things actors are fighting over right now. Studios want to be able to keep digital copies of their voices/images so they can pay them once, then use it forever with AI and shit. So, while it seems like a good solution for this one instance, in the big picture it would be awful.”

It should be noted that Rick & Morty workers are represented by The Animation Guild (TAG), which is separate from SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America. While the unions share similar concerns, the AMPTP proposal to SAG-AFTRA did not directly impact TAG members.

Another commentator was concerned that replacing Roiland with AI “would be still licensing the voice from the actor,” which contradicts Adult Swim terminating their relationship with the show creator. A third feared that AI would be “more noticeable” than a voice impersonator.  

The recent Reddit post is not the first time AI has been floated around as a suspicion for Roiland’s voice replacement. Last month, a fan wrote on Twitter, “Erm, so I think they’re just using AI for the new voices in Rick & Morty.”

The domestic violence charges against Roiland were dropped in March due to lack of evidence, but Adult Swim, Warner Bros. Discovery, Hulu Originals, and 20th TV Animation had already separated from Roiland, along with Squanch Games. Following the charges, several employees came forward with allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior in the workplace.

The new theory comes after a new teaser for Rick & Morty was released, focusing on the character Summer Smith and her mother, and not the titular characters.

Rick & Morty Season 7 premieres October 15, 2023 on Adult Swim.