The number one question coming into Rick & Morty Season 7 had been who would take over as the voice of both Rick and Morty after Justin Roiland was fired from the show after domestic violence allegations. The answer to that didn’t come until the end of the Season 7 premiere, titled “How Poppy Got His Poop Back,” and when it came, the names were anything but familiar.
“How Poppy Got His Poop Back” marked the first episode of Rick & Morty without co-creator Justin Roiland, who had voiced both titular characters – and several others – for the show’s 61 episodes. And if confirmation that Roiland had departed the role hadn’t come months ago, fans would have been hard-pressed to tell the difference from the Season 7 premiere alone. But once the credits rolled, the names were finally revealed.
Newcomers Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden Are the New Voices Behind Rick and Morty
Unlike before, when Roiland voiced both characters, two different actors will now voice Rick and his grandson Morty on Adult Swim’s Rick & Morty. Ian Cardoni is set to bring to life Rick Sanchez, while Harry Belden will be the new voice of Morty Smith, Rick’s grandson.
Neither actor has that much experience, though they both have some credits to their name. Cardoni has appeared on Clear History and voiced promos for the SyFy drama Resident Alien. Belden, meanwhile, has had roles on Fox’s Proven Innocent and NBC’s Chicago Med. Not nothing, and yet not anything resembling the profile of the new roles they’re stepping into, particularly considering the reasons why they’re stepping into these roles.
Related: Rick and Morty S7’s Trailer Has Hidden The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild References
Rick & Morty Still Has Plenty of Life Left in It
Rick & Morty might just be premiering Season 7, but the show still has plenty more life left in it. A couple of months ago producer Steve Levy told Premiere that Season 8 was already written and that the writers had managed to plan a good part of Season 9 before the strike, so they were already thinking about Season 10. The WGA is now back to work, and even if SAG-AFTRA remains on strike, it’s likely the writers can focus on Season 9 and even get started on big-picture planning for Season 10.
One thing is for sure, with Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden bringing new energy to Rick & Morty, we will likely be seeing a lot more of Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith, even without Justin Roiland.
