Why is Justin Roiland no longer voicing Rick and Morty? Behind-the-scenes updates on the voice actor

Justin Roiland is no longer voicing Rick and Morty because Adult Swim severed all ties with the show's co-creator in January 2023 following felony domestic abuse charges. Roiland was charged with one count of domestic battery with corporal injury and one count of false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud or deceit. Although those charges were later dropped, Adult Swim did not reverse its decision, and the show has thrived without him ever since.

Key takeaways

• Justin Roiland was fired by Adult Swim in January 2023 after felony domestic abuse charges stemming from a 2020 incident became public.
• The domestic violence charges were dismissed in March 2023 due to insufficient evidence, but Adult Swim's decision stood.
• Ian Cardoni voices Rick and Harry Belden voices Morty from season 7 onwards, selected after a search involving thousands of auditionees.
• Roiland retains his co-creator credit on the show, as his production company remains part of the production pipeline.
• Rick and Morty season 9 premiered on 24 May 2026, continuing well beyond Roiland's involvement.

Profile summary

Why is Justin Roiland no longer voicing Rick and Morty?

Mark Justin Roiland is an American voice actor, animator, writer, producer, and director best known as the co-creator of Adult Swim's Rick and Morty, on which he voiced the show's title characters Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith until 2023.

NBC News revealed that Roiland was charged with one count of domestic battery with corporal injury and one count of false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud, or deceit, stemming from a 2020 incident with an unnamed woman. NBC News also reported that Roiland was arrested and released on a $50,000 bond in August 2020 and arraigned in October of that year.

Marie Moore, SVP of communications at Adult Swim owner Warner Bros. Discovery, confirmed the network's position in a statement:

Adult Swim has ended its association with Justin Roiland.

Roiland's departure came after the charges relating to felony domestic battery and false imprisonment were revealed in January 2023. The charges were later dropped due to "insufficient evidence". Despite the dismissal, Adult Swim did not reinstate him.

Additional allegations that emerged

The domestic abuse case was not the only controversy. New allegations revealed that Roiland had pursued young fans of the show, including multiple who were underage, according to interviews and text messages shared with NBC News.

An investigation by The Hollywood Reporter also revealed that Roiland had had little to do creatively with Rick and Morty since he "just stopped showing up" to the writers' room during the third season.

The ripple effect: other projects also dropped him

Adult Swim was not the only company to cut ties. In the wake of Adult Swim cutting ties with Roiland, Hulu also dropped him from Solar Opposites and Koala Man. On Solar Opposites, which he co-created with Mike McMahan, Roiland voiced the main character, Korvo.

Squanch Games, the video game company co-founded by Roiland, also announced that Roiland had resigned, posting, "On January 16, 2023, Squanch Games received Justin Roiland's resignation."

Who is now voicing Rick and Morty?

After a nearly six-month search that featured thousands of candidates, newcomers Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden emerged as the new voices of the titular characters.

As of Rick and Morty season 7, Rick is now voiced by Ian Cardoni, while Morty is played by Harry Belden. Cardoni was born and raised in the Boston area and graduated from Emerson College. Belden grew up in Chicago, Illinois, holds a BFA from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and previously appeared in commercials and TV dramas, including Chicago Med and Proven Innocent.

Showrunner Scott Marder described the exhaustive casting process in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter:

We heard thousands. It went on for six months. It was really wide.

The Rick and Morty team opted to cast a wide net to find soundalikes for the beloved characters, which is why they went with these two largely unknown actors. In their own words, both men were still adjusting to the reality of their new roles. Harry Belden told The Hollywood Reporter:

If I start zeroing in on tiny little aspects of my voice, I'm going to drive myself crazy.

How did fans react to the new voices?

All the behind-the-scenes upheaval might have suggested Rick and Morty would return a markedly different show; instead, season 7 proved how the series had matured into a machine built to outlast any individual contributor. Cast member Chris Parnell said in May 2025 that he had already recorded the final episode of the ninth season and that the cast was close to wrapping, suggesting the show's new rhythm was fully embedded.

Why is Justin Roiland still credited on Rick and Morty?

Many fans noticed Roiland's name in the credits even after his departure. In addition to voicing many characters during his time working on Rick and Morty, Roiland is also credited as the show's co-creator alongside Dan Harmon, and until season 7, the title card displayed both their names.

Rick and Morty is a collaborative project between various studios, one of which is "Justin Roiland's Solo Vanity Card Productions!" Seeing as Roiland's production company still contributes to delivering episodes to Adult Swim, his name remains in the credits in his dual role as co-creator and executive producer.

Roiland retains his co-creator credit, with Scott Marder serving as showrunner. The co-creator credit will likely remain for the rest of Rick and Morty's run, as Roiland is partly responsible for the show's inception.

Does Justin Roiland still earn money from Rick and Morty?

This question is more complicated. Justin Roiland's estimated net worth is $7 million as of 2026, built primarily through voice acting work, co-creator royalties from Rick and Morty, and revenue generated by Squanch Games.

Roiland earns passive income through royalties from Rick and Morty merchandise and syndication deals. However, at the height of his involvement, Roiland held large overall deals with both Adult Swim and Hulu; estimates place his combined earnings from the two networks at least $5 million per year before his January 2023 departure. Those active deals are now gone.

Latest news: what is Justin Roiland doing now?

As of late 2025, Justin Roiland remained largely inactive in mainstream entertainment. As he entered the third year of a self-imposed social media silence, Roiland had been near-absent from public life. One eagle-eyed fan spotted what appeared to be Roiland's Instagram account briefly liking a post from DC Studios exec James Gunn, the closest thing to a public appearance he has made.

Meanwhile, the show he helped create continues to grow. Rick and Morty season 9 premiered on Adult Swim on 24 May 2026 at 11 p.m. ET. In October 2024, the series had already been renewed through season twelve.

News also emerged that long-time Rick and Morty director Jacob Hair will direct an upcoming feature film, which co-creator Dan Harmon has said he wants to work on as a standalone story, ensuring the franchise continues to expand.

Is Justin Roiland ever coming back to Rick and Morty?

There is no credible indication that Adult Swim would reinstate Roiland. Today, Justin Roiland exists in a professional vacuum he largely created for himself; his name is conspicuously absent from the press materials of the shows he built, and his voice is no longer part of their soundtrack. With Rick and Morty already commissioned through season 12 and season 9 having wrapped, a return seems increasingly unlikely.

Net worth

Justin Roiland's estimated net worth is $7 million as of 2026.

His former income sources included:

• Co-creator royalties and producer fees from Rick and Morty
• Voice acting and executive producer role on Solar Opposites
• Executive producer fees from Koala Man
• Revenue from Squanch Games, including the hit 2022 title High on Life
• Passive royalties from Rick and Morty merchandise and syndication

FAQs

1. Why did Adult Swim fire Justin Roiland? Adult Swim cut ties with Roiland in January 2023 after he was charged with one count of felony domestic battery with corporal injury and one count of false imprisonment, related to a 2020 incident.
2. Were the charges against Justin Roiland ever dropped? Yes. The Orange County District Attorney's office dismissed the charges in March 2023 due to insufficient evidence, but Adult Swim did not reverse its decision to end his association with the show.
3. Who voices Rick and Morty now? Ian Cardoni voices Rick Sanchez, and Harry Belden voices Morty Smith, beginning with season 7, which premiered in October 2023.
4. Why is Justin Roiland still credited on Rick and Morty? Roiland retains his co-creator credit because he was instrumental in the show's creation, and his production company, Justin Roiland's Solo Vanity Card Productions!, remains part of the show's production structure.
5. Does Justin Roiland still earn money from Rick and Morty? He likely earns passive royalties through his co-creator status and the involvement of his production company, but the lucrative active deals with Adult Swim and Hulu have ended.
6. What is Justin Roiland doing now? As of 2026, Roiland has maintained a very low public profile and has not announced any new professional projects.
7. Is Rick and Morty continuing without Justin Roiland? Absolutely. The show premiered its ninth season on 24 May 2026 and has already been renewed for a twelfth season.
8. Did Roiland lose his other shows too? Yes. Hulu dropped him from both Solar Opposites and Koala Man, and he resigned from Squanch Games, all within days of Adult Swim's announcement in January 2023.

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Source: Legit.ng