Jeff Garlin's sudden departure from The Goldbergs raises some serious questions about the future of the hit show. Proceeding from this point will be a delicate matter for The Goldbergs. As the entire series is the life story of the show's creator, Adam Goldberg, making major changes that didn't actually happen in Adam's life — such as the early death of his father — can ruin the authenticity of the show. This makes the future of the show, and particularly the character of Murray, extremely uncertain.
Jeff Garlin's abrupt departure from The Goldbergs came after an HR investigation into his behavior on the set. Garlin maintains that he was not fired from the ABC comedy, but that he and Sony, the production company, had made a mutual decision for him to depart amidst allegations of his misbehavior on set. Garlin blames his departure on how "politically correct" the show required him to be — his "silly," comedic behavior was less than appreciated by HR. Garlin also recently made a few negative comments about The Goldbergs during a stand-up performance while comparing it to his time on Curb Your Enthusiasm, which likely contributed to his departure.
Ultimately, this means that the future for Murray Goldberg is far from clear. However, despite these complications, there are currently no plans to kill Murray off of the show. Most of the filming for The Goldbergs was already complete by the time Garlin departed — Garlin himself only had about a week left of filming for the season when he left. For the remainder of the season, The Goldbergs reportedly (via Variety) plans on using previously unused footage, off-screen dialogue, and body doubles to cover the comedian's absence. There will be no facial replacement editing or dramatic character write-offs; just a patchwork of previously obtained footage. Despite not filming any more new footage, Garlin will still be paid for these appearances in The Goldbergs season 9.
Currently, the hit comedy hasn't been approved for the 10th season. If season 9 winds up being the last of The Goldbergs — which Garlin himself believes it will be — it's possible that this method could be enough to get the show through to its final episodes. Garlin's role in the show in recent seasons has been minimal, so the replacement of newly-filmed material with a hybrid of new and recycled material. A body double has already been used for Garlin in promotional material before, so using one for group shots and shots from behind won't be too far of a stretch from what has already been done.
Garlin's departure isn't the first time The Goldbergs has had to cover a sudden cast change. Some minor Goldbergs characters have been recast and replaced over the seasons, and the death of George Segal — who played Adam's grandfather — in March meant the show was forced to write the character's death into The Goldbergs. At this point, however, it seems that The Goldbergs has no plans to kill off Murray in the wake of Jeff Garlin's departure.