Credit: Adult SwimRick and Morty will return soon, but not in the traditional sense of the series. Instead, the beloved animated duo will come back in the form of a new anime series from Adult Swim, which will premiere on Max (formerly HBO Max).
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The news behind the adult animation has not been great the past few months, as co-creator of the series, Justin Roiland, was in court for domestic abuse charges. However, the case has since been thrown out, but nothing indicates that Roiland will be returning to the series. It will be strange to see what will happen, as Roiland voiced both Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith.
Despite the issues that have stemmed from Roiland’s case and the charges levied against him, Rick and Morty is moving forward with this brand-new anime.
Between 2020 and 2021, Adult Swim allowed five anime shorts to be created and shown, directed by Takashi Sano. This has led to the network asking Sano to return, but this time to produce an entire, complete series. Now, that task has come to fruition, as the Rick and Morty anime has released its first teaser.
Rick and Morty: The Anime coming this year to Max #streamonmax pic.twitter.com/CyBT6HcSbq
— Rick and Morty (@RickandMorty) April 12, 2023
On top of the teaser image showcasing Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith in all their anime glory, the caption also indicates that the series will be released sometime this year. We would assume that the 2023 designation would mean the anime will start streaming this fall. This is just speculation, but it would make sense for Adult Swim to release a trailer in the next month or so and for the release date to be around September.
The issues with Justin Roiland’s arrest and his court case could have fast-tracked this new take on Rick and Morty, as Adult Swim can now take the time to recast the voices of the eponymous heroes. Koji Iijima produced the original anime shorts, and Maki Terashima-Furuta was the executive producer. However, it has not yet been reported if they will be involved with the entire run of this spinoff.
Rick and Morty has become a global phenomenon and a series that had just secured its future with Adult Swim in 2018 when the network agreed to 70 more episodes. The series wrapped up its sixth season at the end of 2022. The new slate of episodes agreed on would theoretically take the animated show into at least a 10th season. Again, this could be altered because Justin Roiland is no longer associated with the show.
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Despite what will happen with the mainline series, fans can see wilder antics when the Rick and Morty anime releases in 2023.
Are you excited about the Rick and Morty anime? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!