Thanks to Toxic Fans, 'Rick & Morty's' New Schedule Is Revealed Before A New 'Rick & Morty' Are

By Andrew Sanford | TV | September 1, 2023 |

By Andrew Sanford | TV | September 1, 2023 |

I have a love/hate relationship with Rick & Morty. I love the show. I hate the negativity that surrounds it, thanks to some less-than-savory fans and one of the show’s co-creators. Justin Roiland, who voiced the eponymous characters and created the show with Dan Harmon, is a piece of s***. After being publicly outed for his s***iness thanks to heinous domestic assault charges, Roiland was fired from Rick & Morty and several other projects.

Rick & Morty will continue without Roiland, which is a good thing. There are plenty of talented voice actors who can do the job without committing major HR violations. The first season without Roiland is set to premiere on October 15th. From that point on, it will air consistently until its end, something rare for the show. Despite the nailed-down release date, Roiland’s successor has yet to be named. There are likely good reasons for that.

Toxic fandom is as real as a heart attack. There are hateful, demanding fans who can take their love of something and turn it into something awful. We’ve seen it across multiple fan bases, from Star Wars to Ghostbusters and everything in between. There is a possibility that shielding the new Rick & Morty’s identity could be a protective measure for the chosen actor (or actors). It wouldn’t work forever, but it would shield them from the inevitable harassment they would receive.

There is also a chance that the show’s creators don’t want to draw too much attention to the change. Again, they won’t be able to keep that going for too long, but it puts the emphasis back on the people who have been making the show work despite Roiland’s difficulties. This isn’t The Cosby Show. Roiland can be removed, DNA and all. From the sound of things, he removed himself from the creative process years ago.

If there are no other announcements, we won’t find out who is voicing Rick and/or Morty until mid-October. It will be two days after Swifties storm every AMC theater in the country. Maybe everyone will be too focused on that to notice? I kid, but stranger things have happened.