The new lead stars of Rick & Morty season 7 have finally been revealed with the show's latest episode, ending months of online speculation.

Summary

• Co-creator Justin Roiland has been replaced as the voice of Rick and Morty in season 7 following allegations of misconduct.
• The new actors, Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden, have been revealed as the voices of Rick and Morty.
• The season 7 premiere finally unveiled the show's new lead performers after keeping their identities secret.

At long last, Justin Roiland's replacements for the title characters of Rick & Morty season 7 have been revealed. As co-creator of the hit Adult Swim comedy series, Roiland voiced both Rick and Morty since the show premiered in 2013. However, following allegations of domestic abuse and sexual assault, Roiland was let go from Rick & Morty this year, and it was confirmed his characters would be recast. The new actors have been kept tightly under wraps up until the season 7 premiere on Sunday, October 15.

Now, Rick & Morty season 7 has made its debut on Adult Swim, and it has revealed the new lead performers. Ian Cardoni is the new voice of Rick, while Harry Belden now voices Morty. Their names were included in the opening credits, a stark change from a version of the credits released nearly a month ago that conspicuously left out the stars' names.

Breaking Down Rick & Morty's Season 7 Recastings

In January, Roiland was charged with domestic violence and false imprisonment regarding an incident that happened with his former girlfriend in 2020. Roiland refuted the charges and, later, they were dropped by the court. However, the damage had been done; within the same month of the case going public, Adult Swim fired Roiland and announced their intention to recast the characters of Rick and Morty. The creator's other shows, Solar Opposites and Koala Man, similarly planned to move away from him.

Dan Stevens took on the role of Solar Opposites' Korvo, a character who was previously voiced by Roiland. His casting was shared with the show's first season 4 trailer, but Rick & Morty opted to hold onto its new performers' names. While this caused some confusion, Adult Swim's tactics make some sense. Roiland's performances as both Rick and Morty have become immensely popular, and the news that he would be recast led to countless jokes, imitations, and speculation. There was considerable hype around these new casting decisions, and so Adult Swim wished to make a proper meal of it.

Cardoni and Belden aren't major names, though they will soon be propelled to a new level of fame. Cardoni has voiced promos for programs such as Resident Alien and WrestleMania, while Belden has appeared in episodes of Chicago Med and Proven Innocent. Their performances in Rick & Morty season 7 will no doubt be scrutinized by longtime viewers, but now that their casting has officially been revealed, they can receive proper credit for taking on two of animation's most popular characters.

Rick & Morty season 7 releases new episodes Sundays on Adult Swim.

Source: Rick & Morty