Summary
Upcoming fighting gameMultiVersushas had a change of cast, as Justin Roiland, the controversial original voice actor for Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith from the animated seriesRick and Morty, has been removed and replaced.The show’s current voice actors, Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden, now also play Rick and Morty, respectively, inMultiVersus.
In January 2023, late-night Cartoon Network programming block Adult Swim announced that Roiland, who created the animated series alongsideCommunitycreator Dan Harmon, would no longer be associated withRick and Mortymoving forward. This initial action stemmed from the unveiling offelony domestic violence and false imprisonment charges filed against Roilandfor an incident that had allegedly occurred three years prior, although those charges were later dismissed.
As a result,the roles of Rick and Morty were recaston the show, and the same has happened withMultiVersus. As revealed byThe Gamer, Rick and Morty are now being portrayed by Cardoni and Belden, respectively.MultiVersusrelies on fighters crossing over from multiple Warner Bros. properties and having unique interactions with one another, but in the Beta build, both Rick and Morty had been exempt from these character-specific moments of banter, instead simply using audio clips from the show. With the new actors in place, both characters now have unique conversations with the rest of the roster.
Other Allegations Have Arisen Against Justin Roiland
While the felony domestic violence and false imprisonment charges were dismissed in March 2023 due to a lack of compelling evidence, the media attention led to a new breed ofallegations of misconduct by Roiland, which were released in areport by NBCin September 2023. These allegations arose from 11 women and nonbinary individuals who claimed that Roiland had used his fame to enter into inappropriate conversations and situations with them. Many of these individuals presented evidence such as emails, shared photos and videos, and plane tickets to corroborate their stories, which ranged from Roiland having sexually suggestive conversations with fans under the age of 18 to buying alcohol for two women who had each been 20 years old at the time of the alleged incidents and sexually assaulting one. Roiland’s attorney at the time called the claims “false and defamatory,” and Roiland himself released a statement denying them as well.
In addition to being removed from his various roles withRick and Morty, Roiland’s alleged actions have had other repercussions. He resigned from his role at Squanch Games, the publisher/developer ofHigh on Life, for which he served as the creator, and was also removed from his roles with animated showsSolar Opposites, which he co-created, andKoala Man, for which he had been an executive producer. For his part,Dan Harmon spoke out about Roilandin September 2023, in part apologizing and taking personal responsibility for not taking action to secure a safe workplace environment for the cast and crew ofRick and Morty. As Harmon put it, “It’s other people’s safety and comfort that got damaged while I obsessed over a cartoon’s quality.”
MultiVersus
WHERE TO PLAY
CHARACTERS: Choose from Bugs Bunny, Batman, Arya Stark, Rick Sanchez, and many more. In MultiVersus, every star brings their unique moves, worlds and attitudes to fight. And as the roster expands, so does the spectacle — with new personalities and play styles turning up the heat in every battle.MAPS: Our maps turn legendary realms like the Batman’s Bat Cave, Jake and Finn’s Treefort, Game of Thrones’ Throne Room into epic battle grounds. And the best part? We’re adding new maps regularly, so the party never stops!MODES: Whether you’re seeking the intensity of 1v1, the frenzy of a 4-player mayhem, or team up for strategic 2v2 battles, we’ve got you covered. Plus, introducing an all new PvE mode, a thrilling realm of limitless combat possibilities designed for solo or co-op play.CROSS-PLATFORM: MultiVersus has full cross-play and cross-progression support across all platforms.
