[Source: CNN Entertainment]
The new season of “Rick and Morty,” which premiered Sunday night, was comfortingly bizarre to fans who’ve come to expect hijinks, meta in-jokes and exceedingly freaky alien species.
It was more of the same, save for two major changes: the voices of Rick and Morty themselves.
Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden provide the new voices of Rick and Morty, respectively. They replace Justin Roiland, series co-creator and voice of both Rick and Morty (as well as several supporting characters), who departed the show in January following since-dropped charges of domestic violence.
Adult Swim didn’t reveal the new actors’ identities until minutes into Sunday’s episode. (Adult Swim and Cartoon Network share parent company Warner Bros. Discovery with CNN.)
The show’s creators said the two relative newcomers were cast after a lengthy audition process involving thousands of voice actors.
The show is continuing to air with co-creator Dan Harmon (“Community,” the new animated Fox series “Krapopolis”) and showrunner Scott Marder at the helm.
The season premiere saw Rick and an eccentric crew attempt to stage an intervention for a heartbroken friend with addiction issues. Hugh Jackman guest-starred as himself (albeit a hard-partying, self-obsessed version).
“Rick and Morty” has been a mega-hit for Adult Swim over its acclaimed run, which began in 2013. It has won two Emmys, is frequently listed as one of the best TV comedies of the 21st century and has spawned collaborations with McDonald’s and the popular video game “Fortnite,” among many others.
The show has been so successful that Adult Swim in 2018 renewed the show for 70 more episodes after the show concluded its third season. The new season is its seventh.
