Is Justin Roiland back on Rick and Morty? Details explored

Rick and Morty crashed onto Adult Swim back in December 2013, and it has been melting brains ever since. Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon cooked up a sci-fi cartoon, and it blew up.

You have got Rick, a boozy, grumpy, mad scientist who is allergic to rules. Then there’s Morty, his jittery, awkward grandson who gets dragged along for the ride. And these rides include hopping dimensions, wrestling with space gods, evil clones, and just your standard family drama.

If you are watching in the States, you will catch new episodes on Adult Swim first, then they pop up on streaming. As of now, seasons 1 through 7 are on Max and Hulu. For the rest of the world, Netflix has your back, at least up until now.

Season 8 dropped weekly starting May 25, 2025, wrapping up by July 27. Then it hit Max and Hulu on September 1, 2025.

Notably, Roiland left the show back in 2023, and fans have been buzzing about a comeback. But, as of December 7, 2025, he is still totally out of the Rick and Morty loop. Not voicing, not writing, not producing. There are also no hints from Adult Swim about his potential return.

Is Justin Roiland back on Rick and Morty?

The straightforward answer is no. Justin Roiland is not involved with Rick and Morty in any capacity. Terrible news about him came out in January 2023. He was accused of a felony, domestic abuse, and false imprisonment. The case was associated with a 2020 event.

Soon after this became public, Adult Swim acted quickly. They said they were ending their work with Roiland. This meant he was removed from Rick and Morty. Soon, his voice roles were recast.

Within a few days, Hulu and 20th Television Animation also cut ties with him. This was for the shows Solar Opposites and Koala Man. He also resigned from his video-game studio, Squanch Games.

In March 2023, the court dismissed the charges. This was due to not enough evidence. But even after this, he was not hired back.

In September 2023, a new report came out. It shared allegations of s*xual assault. It also talked about inappropriate online contact with underage fans. This caused even more controversy. It made a comeback very unlikely. His co-creator, Dan Harmon, later spoke about this. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he said he felt “frustrated, ashamed, and heartbroken” about what had come out.

Starting with Rick and Morty Season 7 in late 2023, the show used new voice actors for the two main roles. Ian Cardoni is now the voice of Rick Sanchez. Harry Belden is now the voice of Morty Smith.

They both returned in Season 8 in 2025. The other main actors also returned: Chris Parnell as Jerry, Spencer Grammer as Summer, and Sarah Chalke as Beth.

At first, fans and critics were worried about the new voices. But reviews for Seasons 7 and 8 say the show is doing well without Roiland. Season 8 has even been called a “return to form.” Many reviewers say the writing stayed strong. They also say the characters and emotional moments are still powerful.

Now the question is whether he may return. In 2023, Adult Swim made a short statement. They said they had cut ties with Justin Roiland. They also said the show would keep going. The full team of writers and producers stayed in place.

Later interviews talked about the new direction of the show. In 2024, Dan Harmon spoke with Variety. He talked about how fans accepted the new voices. He said the show was entering a “new era.” Harmon spoke about rebirth and long-term stories. However, he did not talk about bringing Roiland back.

Articles about Rick and Morty Season 8 and later seasons all say the same thing. The show is continuing without Roiland. They also say Roiland has kept a low profile. They confirm he has not returned to the series.

No formal statements, no reliable news, and no confidential information from the business. There is no indication that Adult Swim is in communication with him, is discussing with him, or is thinking about taking him back.

At the same time, a lot of people wonder if Justin Roiland still earns money from Rick and Morty. The full details of his contract are private. But reports from the industry suggest something important.

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Because he is a co-creator and part-owner of the original show, he likely still earns some royalties or backend money. This means he may still make money when the show succeeds.

But this is only about money. He is not working on the show anymore. He gets no creative control. He has no role in daily production. He is also no longer publicly credited as part of the team.

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