Summary

• Justin Roiland is no longer directly involved with Rick and Morty, but his name is still listed in the credits for season 7.
• The title of executive producer can have different meanings and levels of involvement in the television industry.
• Roiland's production company contributes to the show's production, which may be why his name remains in the credits as co-creator and executive producer.

Rick and Morty season 7 continues to bear the name of a key figure in the show's history in its credits. Justin Roiland was dismissed from the Adult Swim show early in 2023, amid charges of domestic assault. Roiland was involved with Rick and Morty since the start of the first season back in 2013, voicing both of the show's leads. Since his departure, Roiland's roles as both the title characters have been recast, and he no longer has any direct involvement with the series.

However, the legalities of the television landscape can be complicated, so Roiland's name remains listed among the individuals who helped bring Rick and Morty season 7 to life. Season 7 is the first to not feature Roiland in a voice acting role, and even his side characters have been recast. There's no denying that Roiland helped shape Rick and Morty into what it is today. However, with new voice actors taking over as Rick and Morty, Roiland's inclusion in the credits raises some questions about what he's being credited for — and whether he'll continue to appear in the Rick and Morty season 8 credits and beyond.

Justin Roiland Is Credited As An Executive Producer In Rick And Morty Season 7

He's No Longer Directly Involved In The Adult Swim Series

In addition to voicing many characters during his time working on Rick and Morty, Roiland is also credited as the show's co-creator alongside with Dan Harmon. Until season 7, Rick and Morty's title card displayed the name of the show, as well as credits listing Roiland and Harmon as co-creators. This is no longer the case, and their names have been omitted from the title card altogether. Instead, their creator credits appear just before the post-credits scenes.

While the title card approach is altered for season 7, both names do appear after the title card as well. This credit refers to Roiland and Harmon as executive producers. Executive producers aren't always the creators of a series, but a show's creator can also receive an executive producer title on their show. This is likely why Roiland's name still appears in any capacity beyond co-creator. The co-creator credit will likely remain for the rest of Rick and Morty's run, as Roiland is partly responsible for the show's inception. With that in mind, his status as executive producer is likely to continue as well.

Justin Roiland has received writing credits on seven episodes of Rick and Morty.

An Executive Producer Can Hold Various Responsibilities

There's More Than 1 Reason Roiland Could Be Credited As Such

The title of executive producer can mean different things in the television industry, with the level of involvement varying greatly from person to person. Some executive producer titles can be nominal, used to credit someone who is no longer directly involved with the show. Although this scenario could be applied to the Roiland situation, there's actually a much more direct link between Roiland and the way he continues to be credited on Rick and Morty.

An executive producer can often be responsible for the financing of a production, whether they fund it themselves or work to raise the funds in other ways. As a result, the owner of the studio that produces a show tends to appear in the credits as an executive producer. Rick and Morty is a collaborative project between various studios, one of which is the aptly named, "Justin Roiland's Solo Vanity Card Productions!" Seeing as Roiland's production company still contributes to delivering Rick & Morty episodes to Adult Swim, his name remains in the credits in his dual role as co-creator and executive producer.