Justin Roiland Reportedly Hasn't Contributed Creatively To Rick And Morty Or Solar Opposites In Years
UPDATE: "Rick and Morty" writer Catie Delaney took to Twitter to corroborate the claims made in The Hollywood Reporter's profile. The original article follows after the tweet as originally published.
people are having a difficult time accepting this but for what it's worth it's absolutely true and I don't think people realize how easy it is to just not be around when you have a whole crew of people keeping the ship running https://t.co/JdY4cSpAM4
— caitie delaney (@caitiedelaney) February 7, 2023
An ugly situation just keeps getting uglier. When word broke that "Rick and Morty" co-creator Justin Roiland had become embroiled in domestic violence allegations and felony charges, fans and industry veterans alike could only watch as one of the more successful Hollywood careers in recent memory imploded in real time. To their credit, both Adult Swim and 20th Television Animation moved swiftly to remove Roiland from several ongoing projects. "Rick and Morty" will forge ahead without his influence, while both "Solar Opposites" and "Koala Man" will follow suit. This came as troubling news to some who consider Roiland to be the main creative voice behind such popular animated series, but the facts bear out a very different reality.
In a lengthy and incredibly damning profile by The Hollywood Reporter, Roiland's tumultuous and shockingly minimized role in these productions has been laid bare for all to see. According to the report, the full extent of the writer, producer, and actor's contributions to several of the shows he's been attached to amount to little more than voice acting work. Not only has he butted heads with fellow "Rick and Morty" co-creator Dan Harmon (who has plenty of skeletons in his own closet) to the point of no longer speaking with him "for multiple seasons," but apparently many individuals still involved with the shows on a regular basis haven't been in contact with him for years, either. As THR puts it:
More recently, multiple sources say that Roiland, other than voice work, has not had any meaningful creative presence on any of the series that bear his name. In fact, many of his former colleagues say they haven't heard from him in years, and when they have, it's been unpleasant.
Moving on
Of course, the most important takeaway is that Justin Roiland has been removed from any position of influence in these various shows. Unfortunately, the THR report reveals even more disturbing details that indicate a pattern of inappropriate workplace behavior stretching back years, including at least one instance of alleged sexual harassment during production on the third season of "Rick and Morty." Now that he'll no longer be able to victimize anyone else in a professional setting, the question of just how much creative involvement Roiland maintained in these projects — despite his name prominently displayed in all the marketing — now appears much clearer.
Given that multiple staff writers describe to THR that they never even met Roiland a single time during production on "Rick and Morty," "Solar Opposites," or "Koala Man," it's fair to say that his sudden removal from these shows will have only a minimal effect on ongoing storylines and other creative decisions. The only major side effect that viewers will experience, as it turns out, will be recasting Roiland for his voice acting roles as both Rick and Morty, as well as the alien character Korvo in "Solar Opposites." When the smoke finally clears, one of the most rapidly-rising names in the animation business will have nobody to blame but himself for his stunning fall from grace.
Roiland is expected back in court for another hearing in April before his criminal trial begins.