Adult Swim has announced that it will be cutting all ties with Rick & Morty co-creator Justin Roiland and that the production of Season 7 will continue as planned. Roiland has become a controversial figure in recent weeks, as it was revealed that the creator is facing charges for domestic battery and false imprisonment after having pleaded not guilty back in 2020.
Further allegations surfaced concerning Roiland over the weeks that followed the news, including predatory behaviour and the alleged grooming of minors. The controversies even extend to Roilands video game studio Squanch Games, which was recently claimed to have settled a lawsuit back in 2018 over alleged sexual harassment, discrimination, and wrongful termination.
Before Adult Swim's announcement, the future of Rick & Morty was rather unclear. Many thought that with how involved Roiland was with the show (voicing both lead characters) that it simply couldn't continue and that cancellation was inevitable. However, it seems co-creator Dan Harmon will now be running things and that Adult Swim is looking to recast the roles that Roiland played, although whether the show will be able to seperate itself enough from his actions is another matter entirely.
As for why Adult Swim is continuing the show rather than just cancelling it where it is at the moment, it's likely down to the ten season deal that was signed back in 2018. Having received a 70-episode order that will see the series stretch to Season 10, it's likely scrapping Rick & Morty entirely may have been too expensive for Adult Swim to stomach.
Rick & Morty Season 7 is still scheduled for release in Summer 2023, although it's difficult to see how it's still going to make that deadline now that the two main characters are about to be recast. We've also not heard any comments about Roiland's situation from Hulu, the owner of his show Solar Opposites, or Squanch Games, the developer of High on Life that was also co-founded by Roiland. We'll keep you updated on the situation as more info comes out.
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