2 years into their roles, the new Rick and Morty voice actors say they're taking "more ownership" over the iconic characters in season 8

Morty working on an experiment in the garage while Rick oversees him in Rick and Morty season 8 — (Image credit: Adult Swim)

New Rick and Morty voice actors Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden have already put their stamp on the iconic duo. Now, in the eighth season of the Adult Swim animated series, they're ready to take "more ownership" of the characters they've portrayed since 2023.

"I think this season gave us great opportunities to explore the range of the characters as they are on the page, and bring that same range we have inside us to the roles," Ian Cardoni tells GamesRadar+ about how getting a second season under his belt has transformed his take on Rick.

"I think fans will really enjoy the different iterations of Rick. I was telling Harry I have enjoyed watching his Mortys throughout the season too… I think there's been an element of taking some more ownership over these roles and really trying to serve the writing that we've got."

Belden echoed those thoughts, saying, "There's a lot of gifts we've been given by the scripts. I honestly think we've worked these vocal muscles in getting these voices down over the course of season seven. I think now that we've honed that, we can turn our attention to other things – serving the script, embodying the characters a little bit more, and just bringing these incredible stories to life in the way that fans have come to expect of the show."

Cardoni and Belden took over from Justin Roiland after the co-creator and voice actor departed Rick and Morty after charges relating to felony domestic battery and false imprisonment were revealed. The charges were later dropped due to "insufficient evidence." More allegations surrounding Roiland emerged in a later report from NBC News. Roiland’s lawyer stated they were "false and defamatory."