Fans of Rick and Morty have expressed their displeasure after being ‘disappointed’ with the new voice actors who have replaced the ousted Justin Roiland, however some disagree.
Adult Swim, the TV station where the animated sitcom airs, terminated relations with Roiland in January of this year after he was charged with domestic assault.
He was exonerated of the allegations a few months later, and he stated in a social media post, ‘I have always known that these assertions were untrue – and I never had any doubt that this day would arrive.’
An NBC News exposé last month claimed that he leveraged his celebrity to create relationships with young followers, some of whom were underage.
His attorney, Andrew Brettler, telling NBC News that the allegations made against the animator were ‘false and defamatory’.
Rick and Morty resumed for its seventh season on October 15, the first without Roiland voicing the two major characters, Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith.
Some viewers who tuned in to watch immediately noted how different they thought Rick and Morty sounded, with one saying that the newcomers – Ian Cardoni as Rick and Harry Belden as Morty – ‘are just sound-alikes’, adding that ‘the show is definitely suffering for it’.
‘Super disappointed in the voice change,’ another said, as someone else wrote: ‘Really considering boycotting #RickAndMorty. The voices are close, but no cigar. Rick and Morty both sound so off. It’s pretty close sometimes, there’s other parts where it doesn’t sound like him at all.’
One individual called the alteration as “terrible,” while another stated that “it legit sounds horrible.”
Others, though, reacted far more positively to Roiland’s alternatives.
‘Great start! The new voice actors sound damn near identical. I mean, you can hear a slight difference on Rick’s voice, but you get used to it quickly,’ one stated on X (formerly Twitter).
‘New voices are chef’s kiss,’ someone else said, as another chimed in to add: ‘Immediately I picked up on the voice change but it’s really really close.’
One enthusiast chastised the other viewers who had criticised the new voice actors.
‘All the people who hated the premiere are really just letting the new voices get to them for no reason at all! The voices are perfect, yes you can hear a slight and I mean SLIGHT difference but it’s not bad! Y’all are just hating for the sake of hating honestly!’ they affirmed.
‘Just finished watching the season 7 premiere and I was not disappointed. Proves it can go on without Justin Roiland although the new voices will take a little time to get used to but it almost sounds the same. Even the heart of the show didn’t change,’ another shared.
Aside from the responses to the new voice actors, fans were left speechless when Hugh Jackman stated that he will be guest-starring in the season premiere as a fictionalised version of himself.
Rick and Morty airs on Adult Swim, with new episodes broadcast on Channel 4’s platform in the UK.
