Following his felony domestic abuse charges coming to light last month, numerous networks and studios have cut ties with Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland. According to a new report, there has been tension behind-the-scenes between Roiland and fellow co-creator Dan Harmon for quite some time.
A feature published by THR delved into the history of Roiland’s involvement with Rick and Morty over the years, from the beginning to last month’s major fallout. Numerous sources told the outlet that the two co-creators reportedly hadn’t been on speaking terms for “multiple seasons,” despite the duo enjoying a far more positive working relationship at the beginning of the show’s run in 2013.
The article says that a mediator was even brought in at one point to try to repair the relationship between the two, but they were not successful. Roiland’s presence in the writing room had also been quickly diminishing since the show’s third season in 2017.
It was recently announced that Rick and Morty will go on with co-creator Dan Harmon as the sole creator, while Roiland’s voice roles will be recast. The series received a 70-episode order from Adult Swim back in 2018, which means that as of Season 6’s finale, more than half of the ordered episodes have still not been made and released.
Rick and Morty is a half-hour adult animated series that follows a sociopathic genius scientist, Rick, who drags his inherently timid grandson Morty on insanely dangerous adventures across the multiverse. It has become one of Adult Swim’s biggest franchises since its debut in 2013, spanning six seasons as of early 2023.