Adult Swim's Rick & Morty has developed an entire universe of characters over its eight seasons, any number of which could anchor a spin-off show. But it's President Andre Curtis, played by legendary voice actor Keith David, who's getting the nod.
Just announced in the Rick & Morty panel at Comic-Con International: San Diego 2025, the spin-off will put President Curtis into a new context that David himself compares to Star Trek and Captain Kirk, the original captain of the USS Enterprise in the classic '60s TV show.
"Surprised doesn’t begin to describe," David says in the panel. "But I mean, to be in this universe, and you know, it's always great being with Rick and Morty. Then to spin off and have your own and create another kind of universe where it's less about the bureaucracy of government, then going above and below and beyond this world to do great things and to, you know, like Captain Kirk 'Conquer new worlds'."
Here's how Adult Swim describes the President Curtis spin-off show:
"President Curtis follows the Commander-in-Chief and his eccentric staff as they tackle the kind of crises that Rick Sanchez could never be bothered with - from interdimensional diplomacy to paranormal investigations and unexplained phenomena."
I'll admit, I'm not a huge Rick & Morty fan. It's just a bit cynical for me. That said, I did grow up in the '90s, which means I am of course obsessed with Disney's all-timer animated show Gargoyles, which brought Keith David to my young attention. David anchored the cast of Gargoyles as the leader of the eponymous heroes, Goliath, alongside a voice cast composed primarily of, somewhat ironically, actors best known for their roles on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
David is also an accomplished onscreen actor, including a particularly memorable turn as the co-lead of John Carpenter's cult classic sci-fi horror film They Live, enacting one of the most iconic fight scenes ever alongside 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper. He also appeared in the final season of Rick & Morty co-creator Dan Harmon's beloved sitcom Community.
The series will co-star David's fellow Community alum Jim Rash, and Brooklyn 99 actor Stephanie Beatriz.
"President Curtis has always been one of our favorite characters to write - he's the only person in the multiverse who can go toe-to-toe with Rick and still hold office," say the show's co-creators Dan Harmon and James Siciliano in a joint statement. "Now we finally get to go on sci-fi missions from Curtis' point of view. And with Keith David leading the charge, it's going to be a wild ride."
Adult Swim says the President Curtis series is "forthcoming," though no premiere date has been announced. While we wait, check out our picks for the 32 best animated TV shows of all time, and stay up to date on all the news about the animated shows you love.
