While Rick and Morty season 7 will be recasting its two title characters due to Justin Roiland’s dismissal, there is already an in-universe explanation for this change. The anarchic world of Rick and Morty has few rules, which is a major element of the animated comedy’s appeal. However, there has been a level of consistency throughout Rick and Morty’s six seasons. For example, both title characters have been played by Justin Roiland since Rick and Morty’s pilot episode.Adult Swim cut ties with Justin Roiland after his charges of domestic battery and false imprisonment were made public. Now, the creators of Rick and Morty must recast Roiland's roles for season 7, as Adult Swim announced that the series will continue without Roiland’s involvement. This could succeed thanks to an existing canon storyline from the Rick and Morty season 6 finale, which unintentionally set up Rick’s potential voice replacement. Beginning in the Rick and Morty season 6 premiere, the Rick Prime storyline provides a coincidental pathway for Rick and Morty season 7 to recast Roiland’s role as Rick Sanchez in-universe.
Rick’s Voice Change Is Made Easier By Season 6
In Rick and Morty season 6, episode 1, “Solaricks,” C-137’s Rick began his fruitless, all-consuming search for Rick Prime. This storyline gave both versions of Rick a reason to disguise themselves—and their voices—when Rick and Morty season 7 starts. Rick and Morty’s season 6 finale further underlined this, as Rick finally found Rick Prime’s hiding place only for him to discover to his dismay that the villain was simultaneously all over the universe at the same time. This means there can be countless versions of Rick Prime and C-137 Rick can go undercover to seek him out, thus justifying new voices for both versions of Rick.
This storyline would add up no matter which way Rick and Morty season 7 utilizes the twist. It could be Rick Prime who changes his voice to evade detection by C-137 Rick. Alternatively, C-137 Rick could alter his voice to lure Rick Prime out of hiding. This wouldn’t be the first time that Rick and Morty pulled this twist off, either. In Rick and Morty season 6’s most divisive episode, Rick replaced himself with an identical clone (which wasn’t even revealed to viewers until the next episode). However, this twist would work better in season 7 if viewers knew it was still the same old Rick with a disguised voice.
Rick’s Voice Change Could Bring Back A Show Tradition
Rick and Morty has always made fourth-wall-leaning gags about the show’s status as a TV show, and this commonplace trope has never been more justified than it is now. Rick and Morty season 7 can acknowledge the change in Rick’s voice easier than many shows since the series has always made meta-jokes about television conventions. Furthermore, Rick and Morty’s season 6 finale makes it even easier for the series to explain the change in canon. While it is tough for any show to recast its lead characters, Rick and Morty season 7 luckily has more leeway than most.