‘And the cheerful anthropomorphic cartoon pig for children,’ they say, kindly. ‘Is she in the room with us right now?’

You may be familiar with Peppa Pig, the British children’s animation that began airing in 2004. Perhaps you picked up on its existence by osmosis, as part of the broader pop cultural landscape. Perhaps you were young enough to watch it as a child, and are now old enough to be reading personal essays about it online, in which case excuse me while I crumble into dust.

Or perhaps, like me, you are a parent. In which case, solidarity. I see you. My son, who will soon turn six, was into Peppa Pig for several years. Really into it, in the way that only children can be really into something. This was not our intention. It was not some beloved fixture of our own childhoods that we felt compelled to share. It just kind of happened.

Non-parents may wonder how such things can just ‘happen’. Surely parents – grown adults, the people who can operate the remote control – have full dominion over their child’s media consumption? Surely we can just say no?

You can’t hear, but I am laughing. Low, hollow and bitter.

Just so we understand each other, let me state plainly that I do not care for Peppa Pig. Happily, my son has lost interest in the show, and her foul influence in our home has waned. But scars take longer to fade, and as new light comes streaming through the windows, I find myself struck with a wondrous, terrible clarity. I find myself wrestling with what it all meant. What have I been through? How have I changed? Was it actually that bad?

In case it wasn’t clear – in my opening analogy, the therapist is you.

A Peppa Primer

Peppa is an anthropomorphic animated piglet, perpetually aged around four. She lives with her parents and younger brother George in a world populated almost entirely by other anthropomorphic animals – sheep, rabbits, cats, mice, pandas, zebras, gazelles, foxes, giraffes and so on – though some animals – like tortoises, fish and ducks – are, for reasons unknown, lesser, and are often kept by the other animals as pets.

There is a vet called Doctor Hamster, though. So apparently whatever capricious god rules this universe deemed hamsters worthy of uplift. Why them but not ducks? Why do fish not deserve true sentience? Stop asking questions.

There are also a couple of human beings – Father Christmas and the Queen, who is directly based on Queen Elizabeth II, though I’m not sure how the show has addressed her recent passing – and a giant talking potato, whose sole purpose is to encourage children to eat their vegetables. Which, considering his status as a vegetable, seems somewhat perverse.

Also, the only music that exists in the show’s universe is variations of the theme song. Band playing? It’s the theme song. Character whistling while they do chores? Theme song. School kids messing around with instruments? Theme song again. It’s really quite unsettling.

You can put the rest together for yourself. They have adventures (a term I’m really stretching to breaking point here), events occur, everyone falls over laughing at the end. It’s a children’s cartoon.

So, what’s my beef? What is it about this particular children’s cartoon that has radicalised me?

The Pig Girl

Let’s start with Peppa herself. I will say this for the girl – she’s not as insipid as Bing.

What she is, however, is a smug, selfish, rude, egotistical bully. And while that’s arguably not out of character for some small children, Peppa Pig is not a documentary about small children. It’s a kids’ cartoon, and in kids’ cartoons, bullies need to learn their lesson.

But Peppa never does. She is never condemned for her bad behaviour. Her cruelty to George goes unpunished. Nobody ever calls her on her bullshit, least of all her wetwipe parents. The show imparts no moral critique. 

The closest she comes to getting her comeuppance are episodes like ‘Whistling’, where she is embarrassed because everybody can whistle except her, or ‘Bicycles’, where she is embarrassed because she is the only one whose bike still has stabilisers. But even there, she doesn’t learn any kind of humility. At the allotted time, when the episode needs to wrap up, suddenly she can whistle. Suddenly she can ride a bike without stabilisers. No emotional or ethical journey is articulated. As with all the show’s attempts at drama, problems are just kind of solved by default. I’m not asking for perfect Aristotelian unity from Peppa Pig, but come on.

And come the following episode, Peppa is back to her old self. Mocking her baby brother, boasting about how good she is at everything, lording it over her friends, fat-shaming Daddy Pig (we’ll come to Daddy Pig). She is a terrible role model for children. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if some older kids learned some pretty bad habits from her regarding how one treats a younger sibling.

But of course, like all children, Peppa is a product of her environment. So let’s take a look at that environment.

The Ugly Ethical Landscape of Daddy Pig

Daddy Pig is the pits. A buffoon, a blowhard, a risible figure. The perfect cliché of the ineffectual sitcom dad. A man fond of declaring himself ‘a bit of an expert’ at things, then proceeding to demonstrate that he is at best an amateur, and at worst dangerously inept. And does he ever learn his lesson? Of course not! No wonder Peppa is the way she is.

But we must also feel a measure of sympathy for Daddy Pig, piteous hog that he is, because he is regularly, gleefully fat-shamed by his family, including his wife. This fatphobia is part of a nasty reactionary streak running through the show, which elsewhere manifests as aggressive heteronormativity (e.g. an episode whose drama hinges on Daddy Pig’s white football shirt turning pink in the wash, because a man couldn’t possibly wear a pink shirt to play football) and anti-intellectualism (e.g. in the figure of Edmond Elephant, a precocious child who is constantly dismissed – even by the narrator, the nominal moral centre of the show – as a ‘clever clogs’).

Contrast this ugly ethical landscape against something like Bluey. Bandit, Bluey’s dad, can be a bit of a buffoon, but he’s also a great dad. He loves his children – and when those children misbehave, they learn their lessons. They grow. And this growth is built upon a foundation of mutual respect, love, and strong values.

Peppa Pig is a moral vacuum in comparison.

Who’s Really to Blame?

If you’re still reading, congratulations! I’m nearly done. Let’s conclude by zooming out a little.

Children’s entertainment can be magical, deftly threading many challenging needles, providing a transcendent and formative experience for children while also offering some nourishment to their parents. Art created with love and care and respect.

Peppa Pig is not that. It is banal. It is tedious. It has none of the gentle whimsy of Sarah & Duck, the anarchic invention of Hey Duggee, the emotional articulacy of Bluey. The animation is crude. The character designs just about make sense in an animated context, but if you want some proper nightmare fuel, look at what happens when you try to translate them to real life.

Or, indeed, make them face the front.

In the interests of balance I’ll admit that there are some okay jokes in Peppa Pig. The fact that Miss Rabbit does basically every job, from taxi driver to helicopter pilot to dental nurse, is a touch of subtle surrealism that I enjoy. Then there’s this moment from the aforementioned ‘Whistling’ episode:

That’s it.

More than anything though, the show feels lazy. It stinks of product. It stinks of this will do, because kids will watch anything.

And yes, kids like Peppa. They love Peppa. Of course they do! Kids can be discerning and appreciate good quality entertainment, but that doesn’t mean they’re pre-programmed to do so. You can put some pretty shoddy guff in front of them and they’ll happily watch it for hours. Just look at the popularity of Blippi (luckily for you, my essay on Blippi won’t be appearing here, because Den of Geek simply won’t allow that much cursing).

This is not their failure. The children are not at fault. We are. The adults. The parents who resignedly shovel this stuff into the trough so we can spend ten minutes looking at our phones in peace. Perhaps that explains it? Enduring this nightmare is our price for allowing it to happen – the Peppa Pig penance must be paid.

Thank you for listening. I think I can finally move on now.

The post Waking From the Peppa Pig Nightmare appeared first on Den of Geek.

Following season 6, however, Roiland was fired from the series due to receiving domestic battery charges (later dropped) and multiple allegations of sexual assault. With Roiland gone, multiple actors have stepped in to fill the roles of Rick, Morty, and the whole other host of characters from the Adult Swim hit’s increasingly large constellation of galaxies, timelines, and multiverses. Even without the personnel change midway through, Rick and Morty‘s cast of voice actors was already pretty confusing beast to make sense of. So let’s try to do exactly that.

Gathered here is a list of (to the best of our knowledge) every voice actor who has popped up on Rick and Morty, who they played, and where you may have heard (or seen) them before. Note: This list is organized into “Main Cast,” “Supporting Cast,” and “Famous Guest Actors.” It occurs in rough chronological order from the actors who performed in season 1 through the most recent episodes.

Main Cast

Justin Roiland (Seasons 1-6)

Rick, Morty, Mr. Meseeks, Mr. Poopybutthole, Many Other Characters

Justin Roiland was not just the co-creator of Rick and Morty but also the vocal engine for how much of the show sounds. Through the show’s sixth season, Roiland portrayed Rick, Morty, Mr. Meseeks, Mr. Poopybutthole, and countless other distinctively-accented characters in the show’s weird world.

Roiland has been an animator and a voice actor for quite a long time, getting involved with his eventual Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon and his Channel 101 imprint back in 2004. There he made Internet-only cult animated series like House of Cosbys, and 2 Girls One Cup: the Show. His voice was previously well known as Earl of Lemongrab (“Unacceptable!!!”) in Adventure Time.

In addition to being removed from Rick and Morty following the 2023 sexual assault allegations, Roiland was also let go from his similar animated projects Solar Opposites and Koala Man.

Harry Belden (Seasons 7-Present)

Morty Smith

Taking over the role of Morty Smith for season 7 and beyond is Harry Belden. A Chicago native, Belden was chosen as part of an enormous casting call and was previously seen in Joe Pera Talks With You and Chicago Med.

Ian Cardoni (Seasons 7-Present)

Rick Sanchez

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Rick and Morty showrunner Scott Marder says that Rick’s voice was a particularly challenging one to recast as most approximations end up sounding like “Macho Man Randy Savage or like a cousin of his.” Thankfully relative newcomer Ian Cardoni stepped up the plate. The Boston-born actor has previously done voiceover work for the WWE, Syfy, and Apple TV+.

Chris Parnell

Jerry Smith

Former SNL cast member Chris Parnell has had a prolific career in comedy both as a live-action and voice actor. Parnell is best known for playing Garth Holliday in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Dr. Leo Spaceman in 30 Rock, and many more roles in film and television. In the animation world he’s voiced characters on Archer, Robot Chicken, Gravity Falls, and beyond. His voice is often perfect for the “everyman” role and as such he has only been required to embody the sad form of Jerry Smith on Rick and Morty thus far. 

Spencer Grammer

Summer Smith

The daughter of Kelsey Grammar, Spencer Grammar got her start as Casey Carywright on the ABC Family college dramedy Greek. Since then, she has done chiefly live-action work on shows such as CSI, Chicago PD, and Grey’s Anatomy. 

Sarah Chalke

Beth Smith

Canadian actress Sarah Chalke brings two enormous roles from TV comedy’s past to her work on Rick and Morty. At first she was best known as the “second Becky” on ABC sitcom Roseanne. She would then go on to portray Dr. Elliot Reid for nine seasons of the classic Scrubs. Chalke is still chiefly a live-action comedic actress today but has done some more voice work in the past, including on Clone High and American Dad. 

Kari Wahlgren

Jessica, Cynthia, Samantha, Mother Gaia

Kari Wahlgren works extensively as a voice actress for animated movies, TV shows, and video games. As evidenced by her character list above, she is often Rick and Morty’s go-to voice to portray one of Summer’s teenage peers. She gets “main cast” status due to Rick’s Space Cruiser (which Wahlgren voiced) being a main player in season 5. Television contracts are fun!

Supporting Voice Actors

Brandon Johnson

Mr. Goldenfold, Many Other Characters

Brandon Johnson is a familiar face and voice to Adult Swim audiences. He has previously popped up on NTSF:SD:SUV and American Dad. On Rick and Morty he voices Mr. Goldenfold, who is seemingly the only teacher at Morty and Summer’s school. 

Phil Hendrie

Principal Gene Vagina, Many Other Characters

Philip Hendrie is best known for hosting The Phil Hendrie Show, a proto-Comedy Bang Bang-esque talk radio show in the 1990s where he portrayed both a fictionalized version of himself and many other wacky characters. He broke into animated voice acting in the late ‘90s, voicing dozens of characters on King of the Hill and popping up in Futurama as well. On Rick and Morty he plays the unfortunately named principal of Morty’s school. 

Ryan Ridley

Frank Palicky, Lighthouse Keeper, Concerto

Ryan Ridley was a writer and producer on Rick and Morty through the show’s third season, and like many of the show’s writers is sometimes called upon to lend his voice to a character or two. His best known creation is the Lighthouse Keeper on the Purge planet obsessed with his terrible screenplay. Ridley has also written for Ghosted, Blue Mountain State, and Community. 

Rob Paulsen

Snuffles, Centaur

Rob Paulsen is a legendary voice actor best known for voicing two Ninja Turtles (Raphael and Donatello) and several Animaniacs characters. His filmography is truly impressive and includes the important role of Snuffles the Smith family dog on Rick and Morty.

Jess Harnell

Scary Terry, Ruben

Harnell is another Animaniacs veteran. After voicing Scary Terry and some additional voices in season 1, Harnell has yet to return to Rick and Morty. 

Patricia Lentz

Joyce Smith

Patricia Lentz provides the voice of Jerry’s mom. She’s had a long, impressive career of live-action and voice acting with some highlights including Runaways, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Happy Days. 

Echo Kellum

Jacob Philip, Brad, Triple Trunks

“I throw balls far. You want good words? Date a languager.” So sad that we had to leave Brad behind in C-137. Echo Kellum provides the voice of Brad and several other Rick and Morty characters.. Kellum is a UCB grad who has appeared in Key & Peele, Comedy Bang! Bang! and most notably Arrow as Mister Terrific. 

Dan Harmon

Birdperson, Kevin, Mr. Marklovitz, Davin, Ice-T, Dr. Glip-Glop, Nimbus

Dan Harmon is the co-creator of Rick and Morty alongside Roiland. The two share a long history going back to the Channel 101 days. While both Roiland and Harmon are skilled storytellers, Harmon has truly delved into the science of story throughout his career. Harmon is best known for creating and showrunning Community, which became an onscreen sensation for fans and an offscreen nuisance for NBC due to Harmon’s at times difficult behavior. Rick and Morty, deploys Harmon’s deadpan delivery to good use, with him often playing monotone characters like the beloved Birdperson. 

Tom Kenny

King Jellybean, Squanchy, Conroy, Million Ants, Etc.

Tom Kenny is an incredibly successful voice artist who you likely best know as none other than SpongeBob SquarePants. On Rick and Morty, Kenny’s roles are decidedly less wholesome than the sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea. Kenny was a big factor in season 1 playing King Jellybean and Sqaunchy. He’s popped up sparingly in seasons 2, 3, and 4 as well, most notably as Million Ants of the Vindicators. 

Cassie Steele

Tammy Gueterman, Tricia Lange

Somebody’s gotta play Tammy Gueterman, that traitorous monster. And that “honor” goes to Cassie Steele. Steele’s name is recognizable to Canadian (and some American) audiences due to her role as Manny Santos on Degrassi: The Next Generation. Rick and Morty was her first voice acting role. She will continue her voice acting career as the lead in Disney’s upcoming Raya and the Last Dragon.

Claudia Black

Mar-Sha/Ventriloquiver

Claudia Black has turned up on Rick and Morty twice, once in season 1 and once in season 4. It’s a surprise she hasn’t done so more often as she’s built up quite the voice acting career. After becoming well known in sci-fi series like Farscape and Stargate SG-1, Black continued on into a successful gaming career, providing her voice to Uncharted, Gears of War, and Dragon Age. 

Maurice LaMarche

Morty Jr. Brad Anderson, Abradolf Lincler, Crocubot, Many Other Characters

Maurice LaMarche’s smooth baritone is quite familiar to many animation fans. LaMarche has voice acted in everything from Animaniacs to Futurama. He’s got a killer Orson Welles impression and that seems to be the starting point for many of his Rick and Morty characters. 

Nolan North

Scroopy Noopers, Many Other Characters

Nolan North has done extensive videogame work in franchises such as Uncharted, Assassin’s Creed, and the Arkham series. That’s right: the voice of shrimpy Plutonian Scroopy Noopers on Rick and Morty is both Nathan Drake and Desmond Miles. North also voices many other characters in positions of authority for the show. 

Aislinn Paul

Nancy

Aislinn Paul is another Degrassi: The Next Generation alum who has broken into the voice acting world. On Rick and Morty, Paul plays only Nancy, Summer’s nerdy classmate who everyone is always mean to. Hopefully one day there will be justice for Nancy. 

Alejandra Gollas

Lucy

Alejandra Gollas is a bilingual Mexican actress who has acted in films, TV shows, and stage productions for decades. Her only Rick and Morty role was that of creepy Titanic enthusiast Lucy. 

Scott Chernoff

Revolio Clockberg Jr.

Originally referred to as “Gearhead,” Revolio Clockberg Jr. is one of Rick and Morty’s most recognizable recurring characters. Embodying this important role is veteran voice actor and TV writer Scott Chernoff. Chernoff has lent his voice to dozens of animated properties and has even written for many successful comedies including BoJack Horseman, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, and School of Rock. He is one of many Channel 101 veterans involved in Rick and Morty and pitches in with some other background voices on the show here and there. 

Keith David

The President

Even if you’ve never heard of Keith David, you have surely heard his voice. An unmistakable baritone with gravitas, David has leant that voice to projects such as Gargoyles, Halo, and Spawn. David has worked with Harmon before on the final season of Community. Surely, there is no better voice for Rick and Morty’s unnamed President…or its Reverse Giraffe.

Kurtwood Smith

General Nathan

Not sure if you recognize Kurtwood Smith’s voice? You would if he called you a dumbass. Yes, Smith is best known to TV audiences as Eric Forman’s ornery dad Red on That ‘70s Show. He provides that same ornery spirit to the role of General Nathan on Rick and Morty in “Get Schwifty.” 

Jim Rash

Glaxo Slimslom

Jim Rash is another frequent Dan Harmon collaborator, best known for his role as Dean Pelton on Community. Rash is an accomplished comedic actor and an Oscar award-winning screenwriter. He’s the perfect choice to play alien couples counselor Glaxo. 

Matt Besser

Fungo

Matt Besser is an improv comedy specialist who is a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade comedy troupe. Over his long career, he’s appeared in just about everything. On Rick and Morty he portrays alien diplomat Fungo, who tries to convince Jerry to donate his penis to Shrimply Pibbles. 

Chelsea Kane

Arthricia

Chelsea Kane has appeared in several TV series targeted to tween audiences like Disney Channel’s Jonas and Freeform’s Baby Daddy. Her brief role as the Purge planet’s Arthricia was a jumping off point to try more voice actor roles on shows like Hot Streets, Regular Show, and DC Super Hero Girls. 

Tony Hale

Eli

Tony Hale won two Emmys for playing the Vice President’s bagman Gary Walsh on Veep. Before that he was the youngest Bluth child, Buster, on Arrested Development. As of late, however, he’s getting more into the voice acting scene. You (or your kids) may best know him as the beloved Forky in Toy Story 4. But prior to that, he popped up as a cheery Mad Max-style biker named Eli on Rick and Morty. 

Peter Serafinowicz

Agency Director

Peter Serafinowicz is a British comedian and actor who used his role voicing Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace as a launching pad to befriend some truly talented creators and get some truly fascinating roles. Serafinowicz has popped up in Shaun of the Dead, Guardians of the Galaxy, Parks and Recreation, and more. He also portrayed the titular Tick in Amazon’s The Tick. His role in Rick and Morty is briefly that of a Russian villain agency director who tries to take down the ever-elusive Pickle Rick. 

Clancy Brown

Risotto Groupon, Story Train passenger

Talk about a guy with a commanding voice. Clancy Brown has been a successful actor for a long time, going back to his roles in Highlander, The Shawshank Redemption, and Lost. He’s undoubtedly best known to animation fans, however, as the voice of stingy Krusty Krab owner Mr. Krabs in SpongeBob SquarePants. On Rick and Morty, he’s played alien restaurant manager Risotto Groupon and a Story Train passenger in season 4’s “Never Ricking Morty.” 

Thomas Middleditch

Tommy Lipnip

Thomas Middleditch is likely best known to television audiences as overmatched tech tycoon Richard Hendrix on HBO’s Silicon Valley. That’s just the tip of the iceberg for Middleditch’s comedy career. The prolific improviser played Tommy Lipnip in Rick and Morty and must have impressed Justin Roiland enough to give him a lead role on his Hulu comedy Solar Opposites. 

John DiMaggio

Multiple Minor Roles (Death Stalker, Leader, Knight, etc.)

John DiMaggio is an incredibly busy voice actor. If you’ve ever enjoyed an animated comedy, there’s a good chance DiMaggio contributed his voice to it. His best known roles include Bender on Futurama, Jake the Dog on Adventure Time, and Scotsman on Samurai Jack. 

Sherri Shepherd

Judge

Sherri Shepherd is an actress, comedian, and TV personality best known for being a co-host on The View for seven years. Since then she’s turned up as an actress or talking head on many shows and lent her voice to portray a judge that deals with Morty in the season 4 premiere. 

Pamela Adlon

Angie Flint

Pamela Adlon is the rare case of an actor who was first best-known for voice work breaking into the live-action arena in a big way. Adlon is best known for giving voice to Bobby Hill on King of the Hill, while also voice acting in other animated projects like Recess, and 101 Dalmatians: The Series. A longtime collaborator of Louis C.K. (though not so much anymore), Adlon appeared on FX’s Louie and got a well-received FX show of her own, Better Things. On Rick and Morty, Adlon portrays Angie Flint – a lock-picker who Rick recruits to his heist team.

Liam Cunningham

Balthromaw

To portray the voice of a wizened dragon, Rick and Morty turned to an actor best known for a series filled with them. The Irish actor Liam Cunningham is known to most people as Ser Davos Seaworth from Game of Thrones. Though not usually a voice actor he must have enjoyed his role on Rick and Morty as he turns up again briefly in Roiland’s Solar Opposites. 

Phil LaMarr

Multiple Minor Roles

The first two things most people (and by most people I mean me) think of when they think of Phil Lamarr are his time on Mad TV and the moment his head explodes on Pulp Fiction. But aside from sketch comedy and head explosions, LaMarr has had a remarkable voice acting career. He portrayed the title character in Samurai Jack while also providing his voice to Justice League, Static Shock, and countless video games. It’s surprisingly hard to figure out what voices Phil LaMarr plays on Rick and Morty but given his talents it’s certain to be quite a few.

Alan Tudyk

Chris, Observant Glorzo, Multiple Minor Roles

Alan Tudyk is a nerd culture mainstay. Very few comic-cons come and go without Tudyk involved in at least one project presenting within them. Tudyk has played Hoban “Wash” Washburne on Firefly and its spinoff movie Serenity, Mr. Nobody on Doom Patrol, and many more beloved characters. His live-action appearances are just the tip of the nerd iceberg, however, with Tudyk providing his voice to everything from Solo: A Star Wars Story (K-2SO) to Harley Quinn (Clayface/The Joker). On Rick and Morty, Tudyk plays several unnamed characters. 

Rob Schrab

God

Rob Schrab is a Channel 101 veteran and longtime Harmon collaborator. Schrab is best known for his work as a director of projects like Monster House, Community, Parks and Recreation, and more. On Rick and Morty he plays none other than God…or at least the Zeus-like god of a remote planet. 

Kyle Mooney

Blazen

Kyle Mooney is an SNL cast member and writer who specializes in offbeat characters and sketches. He also wrote and starred in 2017’s Brigsby Bear. On Rick and Morty he voices the Mortal Kombat-esque faux badass Blazen in season 5 episode “Rickdependence Spray.”

Troy Baker

Timmy Timtim, General

Troy Baker’s voice is an extremely well known one thanks to his lead role as Joel in the classic video game franchise The Last of Us.

Dawnn Lewis

Assimilated Alien #1

After getting her start as Jaleesa Vinson on late ’80s sitcom A Different World, Dawnn Lewis has settled into a fruitful voice acting career.

Lauren Tom

Kendra, Xing Ho

A prolific voice actor, Lauren Tom has been a part of the Rick and Morty supporting cast since season 5.

Jon Allen

Mr. Poopybutthole

Justin Roiland’s exit from the series in season 6 means that more roles than just Rick and Morty need to be recast. The first actor to take over from Roiland in a non-Rick or Morty capacity in Jon Allen as long-running tertiary character Mr. Poopybutthole. Allen is a prolific voice actor with nearly 100 credits to his name

Famous Guest Actors

Dana Carvey

Leonard Smith

The voice of Jerry’s dad is provided by one of SNL’s better known alums in Dana Carvey. A master impressionist, Carvey was an important figure on SNL during the ‘80s and would go on to star in Wayne’s World, The Master of Disguise, and Trapped in Paradise. Shortly after his SNL career, he hosted The Dana Carvey Show, which did not last long but is notable in TV history for having an incredible cast of writers including Louis C.K. Charlie Kaufman, Jon Glaser, Robert Carlock, and frequent Dan Harmon collaborator Dino Stamatopoulos. 

John Oliver

Dr. Xenon Bloom

John Oliver now carries on the legacy of The Daily Show in his superb HBO news series Last Week Tonight. Prior to finding his perfect comedy news niche, Oliver had a lengthy comic acting career starting in his native England and extending into his new home in the U.S. Oliver previously played an important recurring role in Harmon’s Community and pops up just once on Rick and Morty. 

David Cross

Prince Nebulon

David Cross is one of several sketch comedy legends who lent their voice to Rick and Morty as part of their lengthy careers. Cross created and starred in sketch series Mr. Show with Bob and David alongside co-creator Bob Odenkirk (how has he not popped up on Rick and Morty yet?). Since then he’s had a successful stand up career and been a part of some impressive TV ensembles such as Arrested Development. 

Alfred Molina

Mr. Needful

Many of us know Alfred Molina from his incredibly successful film career in projects like Boogie Nights, Spider-Man 2, and The Da Vinci Code. But Molina has also had quite the career as a voice actor as well. In the past couple decades, Molina has lent his sturdy voice to Rango, Monsters University, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Frozen II, and more. He was clearly a shrewd choice for the Lucifer-like Mr. Needful. It’s a wonder why he hasn’t turned up on Rick and Morty more. 

Richard Fulcher

King Flippy Nips

Richard Fulcher is best known as the unofficial third member of British comedy troupe The Mighty Boosh, though he himself is American. Fulcher wrote and acted in every incarnation of The Mighty Boosh. He has also had a prolific career in comedy acting outside the troupe. As of late, Fulcher has leaned into his voice acting abilities including this sadly one-off role on Rick and Morty as King Flippy Nips, ruler of Pluto. 

Keegan-Michael Key

Schleemypants

Keegan-Michael Key is likely best known as half of the ultra successful sketch comedy duo Key & Peele. (Wonder whatever happened to the other guy!) Key has had an enormously successful career as a comedic actor on television. On Rick and Morty he plays testicle-looking time cop Schleemypants. 

Jordan Peele

Second Fourth-Dimensional Being

Oh, here’s Peele! Schleemypants’ unnamed partner is the only character Peele has played on Rick and Morty. 

Jemaine Clement

Fart

New Zealand comedic actor Jemaine Clement is best known being half of the Grammy award-winning comedic musical act Flight of the Conchords alongside Bret McKenzie. Clement has also worked extensively with fellow Kiwi Taika Waititi to produce recent classics like What We Do in the Shadows. His deadpan delivery was a perfect choice monotone gaseous being “Fart.”

Andy Daly

Krombopulos Michael

Krombopulos Michael is Rick and Morty’s Boba Fett: he looks cool but ultimately does nothing. Playing K.M. was one of the most sought-of “character voice actors” in the industry. Daly’s cheerful everyman delivery has proven useful on dozens of comedy shows across the entertainment landscape. Perhaps best known for his starring vehicle Review with Forest MacNeil, Daly has also lent his voice to series such as Harley Quinn, Bob’s Burgers, and Big Mouth. He can also be heard as a crucial role on Roiland’s Solar Opposites. 

Christina Hendricks

Unity

Christina Hendricks is best known for her role as Joan Holloway on Mad Men. In addition to that, however, she’s appeared in quite a few genre films and shows like Firefly, Life, and The Neon Demon. Hendricks has done some voice work here and there and her only role on Rick and Morty to date is assimilation expert and one-time Rick Sanchez paramour Unity. 

Patton Oswalt

Beta-Seven

Patton Oswalt is basically the dark matter of the comedy universe. He and his voice turn up just about everywhere. Perhaps his best known voice acting role is that of lead character Remy in Ratatouille. On Rick and Morty he has played only Beta-Seven thus far and is surely due for some more appearances. 

Stephen Colbert

Zeep Xanflorp

Stephen Colbert is of course a longtime comedic actor, host of The Colbert Report, and now host of The Late Show on CBS. The Late Show understandably takes up most of his time nowadays but he was nice enough to portray the intelligent alien living inside Rick’s flying saucer’s Miniverse battery. 

Nathan Fielder

Kyle

“The Ricks Must Be Crazy” has quite the star power among its voice cast. In addition to Colbert’s Zeep, the episode also introduces another Microverse populated by Kyle. Kyle is played by Nathan For You’s cringe comedy maestro Nathan Fielder. 

Werner Herzog

Shrimply Pibbles

Werner Herzog might be the strangest inclusion in the Rick and Morty voice canon. Herzog is a towering figure in the cinema world as a director, screenwriter, documentarian, and occasional actor. His German accent and generally serious and pessimistic disposition has made him a natural target for comedies looking to inject a bit of weird humor into the proceedings. 

James Callis and Tricia Helfer

Pat and Donna Gueterman

James Callis and Tricia Helfer portray the parents of double-agent Tammy Gueterman for a very specific reason. Callis and Helfer are best known for their roles on Syfy’s classic series Battlestar Galactica, with Callis playing brilliant scientist (and traitor to humanity) Gaius Baltar and Helfer playing Cylon model Number 6. Pat and Donna Gueterman on Rick and Morty look just like the actors playing them, which should have been our first clue that something is amiss.

Nathan Fillion

Cornvelious Daniel

Who is Nathan Fillion if not nerd culture’s best friend? Fillion came into prominence by playing Captain Mal Reynolds on Joss Whedon’s beloved Firefly. Since then Fillion has had a solid career on shows like Castle and The Rookie. In his spare time, however, he provides his voice to animated series like Rick and Morty and Big Mouth, often playing a thinly-veiled version of himself. Cornvelious Daniel is notable for being the first character onscreen in Rick and Morty to enjoy that sweet, sweet McDonald’s Szechuan sauce. 

Joel McHale

Hemorrhage

Joel McHale is, of course, another Community alum. He played lead character Jeff Winger on Harmon’s old NBC series. In addition to that, McHale has had a lengthy career in comedy, having hosted The Soup and Netflix’s recent Tiger King special. He was also a tight end of the University of Washington football team but that’s neither here nor there. He voices bucket-wearing post-apocalyptic warlord Hemorrhage on Rick and Morty.

Susan Sarandon

Dr. Wong

Perhaps no character on Rick and Morty has delved deeper into Rick’s psyche than Smith-family psychologist Dr. Wong. Lending her voice to Dr. Wong in the infamous “Pickle Rick” episode is legendary actress Susan Sarandon a.k.a the Louise in Thelma and Louise. 

Danny Trejo

Jaguar

“Pickle Rick” really has quite the impressive guest voice cast. Danny Trejo joins Peter Serafinowicz and Susan Sarandon in lending his voice to this episode. Trejo plays Rick’s loose canon action hero ally, Jaguar. Outside of Rick and Morty, Danny Trejo may be one of the most recognizable faces in entertainment. A frequent collaborator of Robert Rodriguez, Trejo has leveraged his fascinating upbringing and tough guy appearance into countless roles. 

Gillian Jacobs

Supernova

Another Community alum! Superhero team The Vindicators requires a lot of guest voice talent and clearly Dan Harmon knew one place to turn. Jacobs played Britta on Community (she’s the worst). The Pittsburgh-born actress has also appeared in Girls, Don’t Think Twice, and Ibiza. 

Christian Slater

Vance Maximus

Christian Slater is a big get for Vindicators leader Vance Maximus. While he’s best known to modern audiences as the titular Mr. Robot in Mr. Robot, Slater got his start as an actor with popular roles in movies like Heathers, Interview with the Vampire, and Broken Arrow. Slater has had a fruitful voice acting career as well, having previously played “Slater” in Archer. 

Lance Reddick

Alan Rails

Alan Rails is another one of the hallowed Vindicators crime-fighting team. Playing the ghost train-summoner is Lance Reddick. Before he passed away in 2023, Reddick was a mainstay on television for decades, turning up in Oz, Fringe, Lost, and more. Most notably he played Cedric Daniels for the entirety of The Wire’s run. 

Logic

Logic

Logic is one of the few Rick and Morty guest stars who gets to be an animated version of himself.  This Maryland-based rapper has released five successful albums and enlisted Rick and Morty to help promote his sixth mixtape Bobby Tarantino II. 

Sam Neill

Monogatron Leader

In addition to having one of the best Twitter accounts in the world, Sam Neill is also an actor best known for playing Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III. The New Zealander has continued to work quite a bit in recent years, turning up in Thor: Ragnarok and Peaky Blinders. On Rick and Morty he plays the leader of the  Monogatron alien race in “The Old Man and the Seat.”

Taika Waititi

Glootie

Playing another Monogatron, this one named Glootie, is New Zealand actor/director Taika Waititi. Waititi got his start in the New Zealand comedy scene alongside other Rick and Morty guest star Jermaine Clement. Since then he has only gone on to become one of the most in-demand filmmakers on the planet. Waititi is behind Thor: Ragnarok, JoJo Rabbit, and many other films.

Kathleen Turner

Monogatron Queen

Kathleen Turner is what you would call a “get” for Rick and Morty. Turner has won two Golden Globe awards and been nominated for an Oscar and several Tony awards. She is best known for her roles in ‘80s movies Romancing the Stone, Prizzi’s Honor, and The War of the Roses. Turner has also been working as a voice actress since the ‘80s, voicing Jessica Rabbit in Who Framed Roger Rabbit and going on to act in The Simpsons and King of the Hill as well. 

Jeffrey Wright

Tony

Jeffrey Wright is no stranger to sci-fi, having toiled away as sad robot Bernard on Westworld for three seasons. Wright got three-quarters of a way to an EGOT in one role by playing Belize in Angels in America. Since then he’s acted in several Daniel Craig Bond films, Boardwalk Empire, and The Hunger Games. On Rick and Morty he plays the role of an alien who vexes Rick into an existential crisis by continuing to use his private toilet. 

Elon Musk

Elon Tusk

Before he ruined Twitter, Elon Musk was best known as a South African/Canadian/American engineer and industrialist who served as the founder and CEO of SpaceX and CEO of Tesla, along with numerous other ventures. Presumably he did not call anyone behind the scenes of Rick and Morty a pedophile but you never know. 

Justin Theroux

Miles Knightley

Justin Theroux has had quite the career in Hollywood. He first came to prominence acting in the David Lynch films Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire. He then continued to appear in major films while also writing some for good measure like Tropic Thunder, Iron Man 2, and Rock of Ages. On television he played Kevin Garvey in HBO’s The Leftovers. For Rick and Morty, he played the role of “heist artist” Miles Knightly in “One Crew Over the Crewcoo’s Morty.” You son of a bitch, I’m in. 

Matthew Broderick

Talking Cat

Matthew Broderick is a longtime stage, film, and television actor best known for his roles on Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, WarGames, The Producers, and much more. Most recently he turned up on Netflix’s sadly-departed post-apocalyptic comedy Daybreak. On Rick and Morty, Broderick plays a Talking Cat with a secret so heinous it will drive anyone to near insanity. 

Christopher Meloni

Jesus

When Rick and Morty briefly presented the savior of mankind in season 4’s sixth episode, surely there was only one choice to play him. Christopher Meloni has had one of the more fascinating careers in entertainment. After playing the deadly serious role of Elliot Stabler on Law and Order: SVU for years, Meloni has re-embraced his comedic side in projects like Happy!, Harley Quinn, while reprising his role in the Wet Hot American Summer franchise.

Paul Giamatti

Story Lord

Paul Giamatti once joked in a late night talk show interview that his role in any given heist or action movie would be the guy wearing a headset in a van, typing on a computer, and telling the hero to “get out of there, man!” He has since parlayed that character actor sensibility into a remarkable, multi-award-winning career. Giamatti is best known recently for portraying Chuck Rhoades on Billions and producing AMC’s Lodge 49. Prior to that he played lead roles in American Splendor, HBO’s John Adams, and much more. The guy has a good handle on stories and therefore makes perfect sense as Rick and Morty’s Story Lord. 

Jim Gaffigan

Hoovy

Jim Gaffigan is a wildly successful standup comedian who co-created and starred in a TV show about his life for TV Land called The Jim Gaffigan Show. While he’s appeared sparingly in films, of late he’s dabbled in voice acting, lending his voice to Hotel Transylvania 3, Playmobil: The Movie, and Luca. His kindly Midwestern accent lends itself nicely to the helpful but doomed Hoovy on Rick and Morty.

Alison Brie

Planetina

Five seasons in and Rick and Morty is still finding old friends from Community to make their debut. Alison Brie played Annie Edison on Dan Harmon’s classic series. Since then she’s become quite the star, serving as a lead on GLOW and voice acting in BoJack Horseman and The Lego Movie 2. She even provided the voice of Natasha Romanoff a.k.a. Black Widow in the video game Marvel Avengers Academy.

Steve Buscemi

Eddie

Steve Buscemi is a prolific and talented character actor known for his classic roles in Fargo, Reservoir Dogs, The Sopranos, and more. That he plays such a relatively minor role on Rick and Morty suggests that he might be a fan of the show and just wanted to stop by and say hey. Buscemi is also notable for being a New York firefighter prior to his acting life.

Christina Ricci

Princess Ponietta

Once known as a talented child actor, Christina Ricci has continued her creative work into adulthood. The actress has starred in films like Speed Racer, Black Snake Moan, and the upcoming fourth Matrix movie. Bless her for dropping by Rick and Morty only to play an CHUD horse-person princess pregnant with Rick’s heir.

Darren Criss

Bruce Chutback, Naruto

Darren Criss wrote and starred in A Very Potter Musical, which helped jumpstart his Broadway career. He’s also a frequent collaborator of TV producer Ryan Murphy, having starred in American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace as spree killer Andrew Cunanan. On Rick and Morty, he played Morty’s strangely appealing classmate Bruce Chutback.

Timothy Olyphant

Coop

Thanks to his roles as Seth Bullock on Deadwood and Raylan Givens on Justified, Timothy Olyphant is TV royalty. And that’s not even to mention his successful film career including the likes of Scream 2, The Girl Next Door, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. His Rick and Morty character, Coop, was a part of the show’s “Thanksploitation Spectacular.”

Peter Dinklage

Chans

One of the most accomplished actors of his era, Peter Dinklage is likely best known to most folks from his role as Tyrion Lannister on Game of Thrones. In season 6 of Rick and Morty he plays Die Hard-obsessed villain Chans.

Lisa Kudrow

Tyrannosaurus Rex God

After getting her start as Phoebe Buffay on Friends, Lisa Kudrow has really just had the time of her life popping up in her guest TV roles of choice. On Rick and Morty that means lending her voice to a Tyrannosaurus rex.

Jason Mraz

Brachiosaurus God

Joining Lisa Kudrow as a celestial dinosaur is musician Jason Mark.

Will Forte

Pissmaster

Dismal supervillain Pissmaster is one of the most tragic figures ever on Rick and Morty. To play him, the show brings on a guy who knows how to play a sad sack or two. Best known as an SNL castmember of note, Will Forte has popped up all over the comedy world with roles in projects like The Last Man on Earth, MacGruber, and Clone High.

Jack Black

Viscount of Venus

Season 6 episode “A Rick in King Morthur’s Mort” is one of the most guest star-heavy installments in Rick and Morty history. Highlighting the major cameos is comedic superstar Jack Black (School of Rock, The Super Mario Movie, etc.). It’s actually a little surprising that it look Black this long to pop up on Rick and Morty. The actor has a long history with Dan Harmon, having starred in the pilot of Harmon and Rob Schwab’s Heat Vision and Jack and guesting on Community.

Daniel Radcliffe

Knight of the Sun

Daniel Radcliffe is another major celebrity who seems perfectly in tune with Rick and Morty‘s bizarre sense of humor. After portraying the iconic Harry Potter through eight films, Radcliffe has been wildly creative and experimental with his roles, portraying a corpse in Swiss Army Man, Weird Al in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, and just about everyone else in anthology series Miracle Workers.

David Mitchell and Robert Webb

Knights of the Sun

As a fun little Easter egg to comedy fans, British comedic collaborators David Mitchell and Robert Webb both guest in “A Rick in King Morthur’s Mort” as Knights of the Sun. The Mitchell and Webb duo is best known for their sketch shows That Mitchell and Webb Sound and That Mitchell and Webb Look and beloved sitcom Peep Show.

Hugh Jackman

Hugh Jackman

As you can see by the names of this list already, famous people really like doing voices for Rick and Morty. Not all of them, however, get to play themselves like Hugh Jackman does in the season 7 premiere. Of course, we hope that the Hugh Jackman of this show is a heavily fictionalized version. If not, the Wolverine actor has some issues to work through.

The post Rick and Morty: A Guide to Every Voice Actor appeared first on Den of Geek.

Whether you consider that to be a good thing or a bad thing depends on your personal preferences and how well individual games execute what they’re trying to do. However, the popularity of those games has presented problems for many modern superhero games. The apparent novelty of playing as a DC or Marvel superhero is often a little less novel at a time when so many other games let you play as one kind of walking god or another. Only the greatest superhero games have been able to successfully argue why you should play as their superhero rather than your superhero. 

That’s the biggest reason why Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is as special as it is. At a time when so many games want you to feel like Superman, Spider-Man 2 wants you to feel like Spider-Man. It’s a seemingly minor distinction that ends up making all the difference.

Narratively, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 picks up right where 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man and 2020’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales left off. Peter Parker is trying to piece together some kind of personal life while also mentoring young Miles Morales in the ways of being a hero (a task he feels increasingly unqualified for). Miles, meanwhile, is starting to appreciate the many ways that being Spider-Man can negatively impact every other aspect of your life. As the two navigate the trials, responsibilities, and opportunities that come with their positions, the arrival of new villains and old friends throws a series of wrenches into a machine that wasn’t really operating at full capacity in the first place. 

If you’re looking for story spoilers, you won’t find them here (at least not yet). For as incredible as some of those story moments are, and for as much as they will be discussed, they’re ultimately less important than the feelings they inspire. 

Every single element of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is designed to make you feel like Spider-Man. If you played Insomniac’s previous Spider-Man games, that statement will not come as a complete shock. Those games achieved widespread critical and commercial success due to the quality of their web-slinging mechanics, animations, callbacks, and every other element that was designed to replicate the sensation of being Spider-Man while offering a new scripted adventure and the chance to make your own fun. 

Given what they were building off of, few expected the Spider-Man 2 team to completely drop the ball and simply fail to pick up where they left off. There was a baseline expectation that Spider-Man 2 would offer more of the same greatness. In all of the ways you probably wanted more of what Marvel’s Spider-Man and Miles Morales offered, it most certainly does. 

What I wasn’t expecting was all of the ways this game’s narrative and other storytelling devices not only improve upon the previous games’ stories but end up solidifying this sequel’s status as one of the best superhero games ever. 

If I was sharing spoilers, I’d certainly tell you about those big narrative setpiece moments that are significantly more impressive than what we saw in the previous Insomniac Spider-Man titles. The same goes for those major plot revelations. The ones that make you say “Did you see that?” Can you believe?” etc, etc. Those attention grabbers steal the headlines for every other piece of superhero media, and they probably will eventually do the same for Spider-Man 2 as well.

But Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 really is all about that special feeling that other pieces of superhero media (and other power fantasy games) either can not offer or simply do not offer quite as well. 

The feeling I’m referring to is the feeling of being not just Spider-Man but Miles and Peter as well. Those may seem like separate feelings but they are crucially not. The same feeling will strike you just as powerfully when you’re looking over a mortgage bill that Peter and MJ obviously can’t afford as it will when we’re punching an enemy clear across Queens with Miles’ Venom Punch. It’s the same feeling that comes when you’re watching Miles find ways to be happy for the people in his life who are moving on while he struggles to do the same as when you’re controlling Peter as he effortlessly glides between NYC skyscrapers while a magic hour sunset accentuates the moment. 

That balance has always been the biggest part of what makes Spider-Man special as a superhero. While that dichotomy was present in earlier Spider-Man games, the quality of Spider-Man 2’s story, characters, and a seemingly infinite supply of little moments and world details simply make it better than what otherwise good (or even great) Spider-Man gaming experiences have offered.

Spider-Man 2 never allows us to forget the burdens of being Spider-Man. That’s because the burdens and the thrills of that experience so often go hand in hand. Every time you swing across the city and experience the adrenaline rush that comes from that perfectly executed gaming experience, you are somehow always reminded that you are either running from one problem, heading towards another, or simply allowing yourself to rise above it all if only for a moment. 

It shouldn’t surprise anyone to learn that this game deals heavily with that relationship between power and responsibility that should be a burden to anyone with a heart. That is kind of Spider-Man’s whole thing. Well, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 not only constantly returns to that mission statement through its scripted narrative moments but its gameplay as well. Just try existing in this game’s world for more than a few minutes without someone needing your help with something.

Yet, there is an addictive quality to the sensation of being Spider-Man that soon becomes an even bigger part of the game’s written story and meta-narrative. After all, the vast majority of people do not buy a Spider-Man game hoping that they’ll get to clean Peter’s house or have dinner with Miles’ mom’s new boyfriend. They buy a Spider-Man game so that they can swing around the city and maybe punch one of those all-time great villains in the face. Well, Spider-Man 2 really leans into the idea that Miles and Peter often feel that same way. Even if they could give the Spider-Man lifestyle up, why would they want to when faced with the comparatively dull burdens of modern life?

Many of us have dreamed of being Spider-Man ever since we hopped between pieces of furniture while uttering vague “Thwip” noises. None of us dreamed of being an adult who struggles to find a job, make money, and keep the people in our lives who give us the most joy in our lives all the while. In Spider-Man, many of us found a character that perfectly represents the struggles and joys of managing limitless possibilities with infinite responsibilities. At its best, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 lets you play as that character like no other Spider-Man game has. Yes, that means swinging across NYC, but it also means feeling the necessary pains of failure and the conflicts that arise when you try to have it all without losing a fundamental part of yourself in the process.

Again, though, I’m probably not telling Spider-Man fans anything that they don’t know. The pain of being Spider-Man has always been part of what makes that character so special, and the very best Spider-Man stories have always tapped into that aspect of the character.

Yet, that’s very much the point. So many Spider-Man games, even the best ones, have ultimately offered that same basic power fantasy that so many other modern games offer. You are more powerful than the game, and there is nothing you can’t overcome in that spectacular fashion that often draws you to games as an escape in the first place. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 offers all of those same highs without ever forgetting that the responsibilities and human moments those other games would treat as lows are actually the things that truly make a Spider-Man adventure a Spider-Man adventure in the first place.

Superhero games shouldn’t just let you play as another powerful video game protagonist; they should truly capture a character and all that goes with them. It’s the quality that has elevated the very best superhero stories over the years, and it’s the quality that elevates the truly great superhero games. For years, I felt like the Batman: Arkham titles were really the only superhero games to tap into that sensation in a profound way. Now, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 not only does the same but may do it better than any other game has.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is scheduled to be released on October 20 for PlayStation 5.

The post Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Understands What Makes a Superhero Game Truly Great appeared first on Den of Geek.

Rather than going the Solar Opposites route and bringing in a well-known actor with a different voice to replace Roiland and making a bit out of the whole thing, Rick and Morty showrunner Scott Marder decided to take a different approach. To start, Marder didn’t want to hire one person to take over every single character that Roiland voiced, telling The Hollywood Reporter that it “felt unfair” to ask one person to put that much wear and tear on their voice for the foreseeable future, no matter how much “easier” it would be to have one person record it all as Roiland did.

After thousands of auditions over a six-month process, Marder and co-creator Dan Harmon finally found the right actors to replace Roiland as Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith. Both characters are now voiced by actors that seem to have been pulled from another dimension specifically to fill the void that the previous voice actor left behind.

Harry Belden is the new voice of Morty, and his previous roles primarily consist of background work on shows like Chicago Med and Joe Pera Talks With You. Rick is now voiced by Ian Cardoni, who also did background acting work for movies like Grown Ups and Clear History. Cardoni has also been an announcer for WrestleMania. But just because Cardoni and Belden don’t quite have an extensive filmography yet, doesn’t mean that they haven’t been up to the task. 

As evidenced by the season premiere, there’s really not a noticeable difference in Rick and Morty’s voices (at least not according to my ears). Because the AMPTP has yet to meet SAG-AFTRA’s terms for a fair deal that could end the strike, Cardoni and Belden haven’t been able to speak about what this journey has been like thus far. However, according to Marder, the two actors “feel like they just won the lottery” and are “eager” and “so excited” to tackle every episode.

The story of unknown actors being plucked from relative obscurity and catapulted into stardom is one that Hollywood itself has told ad nauseam for decades, but it still feels somewhat rare to see in real life. Replacing the lead characters of a popular series seven seasons in, especially under the circumstances their predecessor was fired for, is not an easy task, and yet Cardoni and Belden have certainly stepped up to it. Neither actor is a household name as of yet, but with how seamlessly they’ve stepped into these roles it shouldn’t be too long before we forget that anyone else ever voiced them.

New episodes of Rick and Morty season 7 premiere Sundays at 11:00 p.m. ET on Adult Swim.

The post The New Rick and Morty Voice Actors are True Unknowns appeared first on Den of Geek.

We’ll continue to update this page weekly as networks announce dates. A lot of these shows we’ll be watching or covering, so be sure to follow along with us! 

Please note that all times are ET. 

Note: These are U.S. releases. For upcoming British releases, head on over here.

If we’ve forgotten a show, feel free to drop a reminder in the comment section below!

Want to know what big movies are coming out in 2023? We’ve got you covered here.

The post TV Premiere Dates: 2023 Calendar appeared first on Den of Geek.

As with most of these modern gaming updates, there is a lot you need to know about Season of Blood if you’re even potentially interested in playing it. Of course, none of that information is going to do you much good if you don’t know when you’ll actually be able to download and access the new season in the first place.

Diablo 4: Season 2 is scheduled to be released on October 17 at 10 a.m. PDT, 12 p.m. CT, 1 p.m. ET, and 6 p.m. BST. Those are global release times, so you can simply convert those times to your local time zone in order to see when the update will be available in your region.

It’s a pretty standard release time so far as these things go, but it does come with a twist. Unlike Diablo 4‘s Season 1 update, Diablo 4 Season 2’s massive balance patch will not be released ahead of the upcoming season. It will instead be released alongside the new season at the times noted above.

Among other things, that means you will not be able to play with all of the class changes and the new builds that come with that update ahead of Season 2’s official launch. Furthermore, the decision to release those updates at the same time will likely lead to a much larger initial update file as well as more players logging on at relatively similar times in order to try absolutely everything new. As such, you may encounter longer queue times than you’ve been used to in recent weeks (though Diablo 4‘s servers have been fairly steady so far).

So why bother to play Diablo 4‘s Season 2 update in the first place? Well, the update’s biggest draw is the addition of Vampiric Powers. Similar to Season 1’s Malignant Hearts (which will not be available in Season 2 content), Vampiric Powers are powerful new enhancements that you will unlock by completing certain pieces of seasonal content. They will not only greatly enhance your overall power level and enable new build possibilities, but they feed into the new Pact Armor system (which are special pieces of gear that help unleash the full potential of your Vampire Powers. In short, Vampiric Powers, unlike Malignant Hearts, should unlock more diverse and exciting abilities rather than “set it and forget it” upgrades.

You’ll need those new powers if you’re going to defeat Season 2’s collection of powerful new enemies and world bosses. None of those bosses will likely be quite as challenging as “Uber Lilith,” but each will seemingly prove to be more of a test for your new abilities than the current collection of endgame adversaries. Each also offers a collection of cosmetics, Unique items, and other possible rewards once they’re defeated. Naturally, you’ll also be able to acquire various new cosmetic rewards and in-game enhancements through the Season 2 battle pass.

Honestly, though, Diablo 4: Season 2’s new seasonal content may be less exciting than the “balance patch” that will accompany that season’s debut. Along with the usual array of (much-needed) class buffs and nerfs, that update will introduce a variety of quality-of-life features to the game. Among those features are the ability to reach level 100 much faster, skip the campaign from the start of the game, permanently retain renown rewards, get more use of your mounts, search through your inventory stash, and more. For more information on some of the changes included in that update, please be sure to check out this extensive Diablo 4: Season 2 patch note log. For more information on the new seasonal content, be sure to check out this official developer blog.

Though not the sweeping reboot that the recent Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 update essentially was, you do get the sense that this upcoming Diablo 4 update is designed to address many of the major criticisms the game has endured since it launched. Will that be enough to lure people back into the game? Well, if you don’t get the chance to try the update yourself, we’ll be sure to let you know more about it as soon as we’re able.

The post Diablo 4 Season 2 Release Time: When Does the Season of Blood Update Launch? appeared first on Den of Geek.

Martin Scorsese is of course aware of this. He loves the classic Westerns of Golden Age Hollywood with their fairy dust, and when he broke into the business, nihilistic and overly self-critical “deconstructions” were all the rage. Yet by finally making good on his promise to go west for a cinematic epic, the filmmaker made neither type of film. He didn’t even make a Western. Killers of the Flower Moon is a reckoning, as sprawling as it is merciless; a sober-eyed view of the greed, hatred, and largely white desire for always, forever, more, even long after the West has been “won.”

This is the story of the Osage Nation, a Native American people who saw their lands stolen time and again. Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas. One after the other, they were driven off, vanished by white governments and broken promises until they wound up on a hard and unforgiving spot of territory in Oklahoma. Osage County was so desolate, surely white men would never want it. And they didn’t until the early 20th century when oil was discovered there.

For a time, the black gold made members of the Osage Nation the richest people in the world per capita. Their children went to European schools, and in their towns the white men drove them around in chauffeured cars. Yet if you looked into those pale faces and subservient eyes, you might recognize more than obsequiousness. Two such pupils belong to Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio), a handsome if aging dirt-kicker whose good looks got him further than his dim intellect ever would. But after returning from World War I, the best he can manage is acting as a driver to Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone), an Osage woman and thus a member of a tribe with equal shares in the headrights produced by oil sales.

The film isn’t coy about how all the white buzzards circling the new Osage money want that oil either. Some of the whites can be playful about it, such as Ernest who seems genuinely smitten with Mollie. She rightly likens those blue eyes of his to that of a hungry coyote—not that she’s against feeding the dog. More sinister though is Ernest’s uncle who invited the young(er) man to Osage County: William Hale (Robert De Niro).

An ingratiating and grandfatherly presence, De Niro’s Hale has insinuated himself into the Osage culture so thoroughly that many Indigenous people treat him as an unofficial patriarch of the community, a great white father who pays for new schools and roads. He’s such a charming devil that no one minds when he sets both his nephews up into marrying Osage women, with Ernest’s brother running wild with Mollie’s free-spirited sister Anna (Cara Jade Myers). But a smile can mask so many sins, and Hale’s bottomless avarice is revealed every time another Osage man or woman turns up dead. At first it seems to be natural causes or “wasting illnesses,” but soon all pretense is dropped as the dizzying amount of bodies grow, including nearly every other person Mollie holds dear. Every one of them, except dear, sweet, innocent Ernest. The coyote.

Much has been made in the press about how screenwriters Eric Roth and Scorsese inverted the structure and even emphasis of David Grann’s nonfiction masterpiece, upon which the film is based. The book is told primarily from the perspective of Mollie and then the investigating FBI agent Tom White (Jesse Plemons) who slowly uncovers the full, stunning breadth of the conspiracy until the reader is drowning in evil. Scorsese pretty much tells you who the killers are when De Niro’s grinning twinkle turns cold and he asks Ernest if he likes Mollie. This is within the first 20 minutes of a three and a half hour film.

What’s striking about the approach is how banal the white greed and cynicism at the heart of the story becomes. There’s never a chilling scene where Hale wholly articulates the horror of his scheme to Ernest or any other minion, nor is there a big actor’s showcase for either man grappling with the depravity of what is occurring. It goes mostly unspoken, a slaughter that is as natural and mundane to them as American racism. This extends to the many scenes of murder and execution of Native Americans. 

Scorsese largely eschews the stylized violence or filmmaking machismo that accompanies, say, Joe Pesci giving Billy Batts his shine box, or Bill the Butcher painting the Five Points of New York in two coats of red. Virtually all murder sequences in Killers of the Flower Moon are filmed in single wide shots, letting the camera’s deceptive disinterest hold the viewer’s face up against the factual evil that was carried out on a nigh industrial scale. It achieves the candidness of a clinical documentary.

Yet for all the barbarity of the film’s so-called civilizing forces, this isn’t just about the murders. At a gargantuan runtime, it is many things, including a twisted love story. Much of the initial warmth, indeed, comes from what is a disarming courtship between Ernest and Mollie. DiCaprio and Gladstone have a crackling chemistry, and the first hour of their manufactured meet-cute and eventual marriage provides the film with a false sense of serenity and charm.

DiCaprio is excellent at playing a man too dumb or too delusional to see why his uncle is driving him toward this marriage, but the effect makes much of the film about a reluctant Charles Boyer reenacting Gaslight. We’d even argue that too much of the film is devoted to the lies Ernest tells, including to himself, when the real powerhouse of the film is Gladstone’s Mollie. A towering performance of quiet strength being sapped dry by her husband’s deceptions, Gladstone deserves every accolade that will come her way this awards season. Mollie is a laconic woman, but the rueful smile on her lips during Ernest’s first overtures, and the fading resignation as her will to know the truth is being snuffed out is the true heart of the film.

Reportedly, Scorsese and DiCaprio aborted the book’s structure because they didn’t want to make yet another “white savior” film that centered on FBI agent Tom White (the role DiCaprio was originally pegged for). That’s admirable, but perhaps DiCaprio didn’t need the lead role at all if he must play Ernest. Admittedly, this is a character with a Shakespearean trajectory of rich self-destruction, but rather than centering on the bad men, the film might’ve been sharpened (and certainly shortened) if Mollie’s sense of betrayal was the dramatic arc of the picture.

At nearly four hours in length, The Killers of the Flower Moon is evidently all things to Scorsese: an ode to the Osage Nation and by extension the many Indigenous cultures exploited and wiped out by “manifest destiny” and other euphemisms for American wantonness. But it’s also a crime movie, and finally a legal drama as a white government at last flinches at cowboys killing Indians. The scene of Ernest’s pure befuddlement when he meets a lawman who isn’t on his uncle’s take—and thus legitimately concerned about who is killing the Native Americans—has a grim gallows humor to it.

The film’s desire to give full exploration to every one of these avenues does make it indulgent in a way other three-hour Scorsese epics are not. Killers heavily luxuriates in its subjects of love, hate, and Osage grace. Nonetheless, it remains as gripping a piece of cinema as any you will see this year, and among its bad men features one of the finest, and most chilling, performances in De Niro’s storied career. William Hale might even be the most vile creation ever realized by an actor who’s also played Al Capone and Jimmy Conway. The actor recently has spoken about the nature of evil in modern figureheads of American racism, and there’s a folksy knowingness toward the timeliness of this character too.

While Hale might be the culmination of Killers of the Flower Moon’s conspiracy, he is just one thread in a larger national tapestry of pitiless conquest. Scorsese wrestles with this in a film that in many ways feels like the final word on the Hollywood Western, just as he’s wrestling with how to recenter it. Hence even though the film is told through the eyes of the killers, the movie has the grace to end on the Osage themselves. It’s the twin thread in a shared story; this one of survival, endurance, and a charity of spirit that makes for an American reclamation. Scorsese sees both sides, but it’s obvious which he hopes will carry forward.

Killers of the Flower Moon opens wide on Friday, Oct. 20.

The post Killers of the Flower Moon Review: Martin Scorsese’s Anti-Western About American Sin appeared first on Den of Geek.

Until now, you might have called Mat Baynton’s Ghosts character a lot of things (self-obsessed, delusional, a terrible poet…), but Scottish wasn’t among them. Then in series five episode two “Home”, Thomas casually dropped the intel to a pregnant Alison that he was “as Scottish as the bonny heather” and would stand by her and “the wee bairn”, never mind that Mike is – obviously -the wee bairn’s father.

Alison was as nonplussed as the rest of us and unsure as what to make of the revelation. Later in the episode, Thomas embraced his Scottish roots once again by joining Pat’s side in the North v South debate, telling Julian: “Haud yer wheesht, I’m as Scottish as shortbread in a tartan tin, sir!”

So what was going on? Had all those centuries of unrequited love simply dicked Thomas in the nob, or was he telling the truth about being a child of bonny Scotland?

Speaking to Nathan Bryon on the BBC Inside… Ghosts podcast, “Home” writers Mat Baynton and Jim Howick explained that the Scottish gag goes all the way back to Ghosts’ very first broadcast episode.

“It one hundred percent goes back to [when] in episode one, the pilot, the first ever episode of Ghosts, Thomas shouts ‘Answer the question damn your eyes!’” Baynton explains. “Tom Kingsley our director asked – I mean, I gave a pretty big line reading – and he asked me to go even bigger. I think it’s in the outtakes, that moment.”

He’s right, you can see it below:

“Immediately after the scene we were walking back to the green room and Lolly [Adefope, who plays Kitty] or someone went ‘you sounded Scottish’, and we joked about – and this is a line from a Tom Basden play that I was in – maybe Thomas is one of those Scottish people who is basically English and then you suddenly see them in a kilt at a wedding, and you’re like hang on, and they’re like, ‘Yeah, I’m Scottish’.”

Did Baynton always have a really good Scottish accent in his back pocket that he’d always wanted to use on the show, asked Bryon? “No, and I still don’t” he laughed, while Jim Howick remembered that he’d used one to great effect in the first series of BBC children’s educational comedy sketch show Horrible Histories in the role of Scottish figure John Knox.

After being pushed to air the Scottish accent one more time on the podcast, Baynton and Howick each gave it a go to… mixed results but Baynton ended the chat with a blanket sorry for having attempted it, saying, “I apologise to the nation of Scotland, you are beautiful.”

All is forgiven, certainly. (But what perhaps should have been apologised for on the podcast is the pair having confused 16^th century Scottish Reformation figure John Knox with 19^th century figure Robert Knox – the anatomist who received grave-robbed corpses from infamous grave robbers Burke and Hare.) That’s a mistake a man of Scotland like Thomas would never live down.

Ghosts series one to five is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer in the UK.

The post Ghosts Series 5 Thomas Revelation Started in a Series 1 Blooper appeared first on Den of Geek.

It’s the beginning of cosy season on UK TV. Brand new Taskmaster and The Great British Bake-Off begin our descent into the end of the year, weekly fixtures that will carry us (almost) all the way to Christmas.

And speaking of things ending, Ghosts series five, in which we bid farewell to Button House, is here, with new episodes arriving on Fridays at 8.30 p.m. on BBC One (and all available now to stream on BBC iPlayer). Tom Hiddleston is back too in Loki season two, with new episodes arriving weekly on Disney+. And it’s the final instalment in Mike Flanagan horror-verse The Fall of the House of Usher, is available now on Netflix, as is the long-awaited UK debut of critically acclaimed US Interview With The Vampire TV series, on BBC iPlayer now and streaming weekly on Thursday nights. All that, plus a new drama from Sir Lenny Henry in Three Little Birds, and new crime thriller Six Four making its broadcast debut on ITV1.

We’ll update this list of TV highlights weekly with more shows, dates and times as the release announcements arrive. If you’re based in the US, here’s where to look for the relevant info.

The post UK TV Premiere Dates: 2023 Calendar appeared first on Den of Geek.

We don’t mean actual ghosts, obviously, we’re talking about all those precocious costumed youths in shoddily applied face paint having the audacity to knock on your door demanding some of the multipack of snack-size sweets you got from Tesco on the way home from work. Bought them for trick-or-treaters? Pffft. Those Haribo were all for you, and you know it.

So embrace the darkness (and the sugar), draw the curtains, and shut out the world ready to scare yourself silly with these classic British TV ghost stories.

Whistle and I’ll Come to You (1968)

A classic in the ghost story genre, this deeply atmospheric and unnerving production is Jonathan Miller’s adaptation of the 1904 M. R. James tale “Oh Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad”. It stars Shakespearean actor Michael Hordern as the too-clever-for-his-own-good professor on a solitary holiday in Norfolk, who finds a mysterious bone whistle protruding from a grave while on a cliffside walk. He takes it back to his hotel, blows the whistle (obviously), and things go south for him from there.

Yes, it’s slow compared to contemporary horror, but it’s well worth sitting through the unsettling buildup (for example, a full two minutes of the professor eating a picnic in silence) for what comes after. Whistle and I’ll Come to You does an awful lot with not very much, to fabulous effect.

Inside No. 9: Deadline (2018)

Inside No 9’s live Halloween episode in 2018 was one of the most intricately created, devilish deceptions in TV history, and even watching it back after the ‘live’ mischief is a pleasingly spine-chilling experience. The episode first suffers from technical issues, then goes off air entirely, and then the audience is treated to a ghostly takeover that takes a very dark turn.

The clip above shows the lengths to which creators Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton went to maintain the facade of the live episode, even plugging it on The One Show and sharing their fears that something may go awry…

Ghostwatch (1992)

Over 25 years before Inside No. 9’s live shenanigans, the BBC aired Ghostwatch – and all hell broke loose. Although it was billed as a drama and the continuity announcer introduced it as such, the show’s convincing mockumentary format led many to believe it was a live broadcast, especially as the ‘presenters’ including Michael Parkinson and Sarah Greene were well-known faces playing themselves. 

The hunt for the deeply sinister ghost, a child molester known as Pipes (based on an alleged real-life ghost known as The Enfield Poltergeist), led to several bone-chilling sightings, and ends with Greene being pulled into a cupboard, a terrified crew fleeing the scene, and poor Parky getting possessed and singing nursery rhymes. The mayhem supposedly caused 30,000 Ofcom complaints as viewers panicked to the point of hysteria, including children suffering from PTSD and a woman going into labour, and resulted in the show being banned from re-airing for 10 years. 

You can watch the full episode (if you dare) on Archive. A limited edition Blu-ray was also released for 2022’s 30th anniversary.

Marchlands (2011)

Doctor Who fans will thoroughly enjoy seeing the duo of Alex Kingston and Jodie Whittaker leading the all-star cast of this gripping supernatural drama about three families living in the same house at different points in history – the 1960s, 1980s and present day – all plagued by the spirit of a little girl who mysteriously drowned nearby. 

As it’s a full series, Marchlands is slower than the other one-off ghost stories listed here, but the payoff is the gently increasing malevolence creeps up on you, leaving you hooked to the story for the full five episodes.

The whole series is available to watch on ITV Hub and Britbox.

The Tractate Middoth (2013)

In another treat for Doctor Who fans, Sacha Dhawan stars in this Mark Gatiss adaptation of a classic M R James short story about a mysterious book called The Tractate Middoth, which is spirited away from a library by a terrifying cloaked figure. Dhawan plays librarian Garrett, who tries unsuccessfully to locate the book for a Mr Eldred (John Castle), with the creepy atmosphere lifted by comic turns from both Roy Barraclough (Coronation Street legend Alec Gilroy) as the academic Hodgson and Sherlock’s Una Stubbs as Miss Chambers. 

Garrett ends up uncovering an inheritance scam related to the book, and the wronged man exacts vengeance from beyond the grave. Delightfully spooky without being outright terrifying. Hear all about it from Gatiss himself in the above clip from the BFI screening Q&A.

Crooked House (2008)

Mark Gatiss took influence from his M. R. James adaptations to create his own supernatural horror series, Crooked House, which was also inspired by Amicus horror movies. The three-part BBC Four series centres on a door knocker from a cursed Tudor mansion, Geap Manor, which unleashes the house’s ghostly secrets, starting in the 1780s, then the 1920s, then the present day. 

There’s a host of recognisable names in this deeply eerie production: Lee Ingleby (The A Word), Beth Goddard (X-Men: First Class), illusionist Derren Brown, Green Wing’s Julian Rhind-Tutt, and of course Gatiss himself.

You can watch the full series on Amazon Prime.

The Enfield Haunting (2015)

As well as Ghostwatch, the real-life reports of supernatural activity in the 1970s known as The Enfield Poltergeist has inspired several fictional adaptations, including a brand new one for 2023 coming to Apple TV+, and the 2016 horror film The Conjuring 2. In 2015 it became the subject of Sky Living series The Enfield Haunting, which centres on the investigation into the north London poltergeist claims by the Society of Psychical Research. The series stars Matthew Macfadyen (Succession) as paranormal writer Guy Lyon Playfair, Timothy Spall (Mr Turner) as inventor Maurice Grosse and Juliet Stevenson (Truly, Madly, Deeply) as Maurice’s wife Betty.

While many believe the claims were an elaborate fabrication by two young girls, Grosse and Playfair were convinced it was at least partly true, and this series explores why. The Enfield Haunting is available on NOW.

The Signalman (1976)

This was the first time the BBC’s A Ghost Story For Christmas series in the 1970s strayed from adapting one of M R James’ stories – this time, they chose a short story written by Charles Dickens. Sadly, unlike the more famous festive adaptation of a Dickens ghost story, this one doesn’t involve Muppets. 

The Signalman is an eerily quiet production, all fog and low lighting, telling the story of a railway signalman haunted by an ominous spectre who forewarns of terrible accidents that he can do nothing to prevent. Starring Denholm Elliott (aka Marcus Brody from the Indiana Jones franchise), it’s full of suspense, and also apparently inspired by Dickens’ own experience in the deadly Staplehurst rail crash the year before he wrote The Signal-Man.

You can watch The Signalman on Facebook.

The Secret of Crickley Hall (2012)

This BBC adaptation of James Herbert’s supernatural thriller novel of the same name tells the parallel stories of the Caleigh family, who move into Crickley Hall in 2006, a year after their youngest child goes missing, and the hall’s past as a home for evacuated orphans during World War Two.

It stars Vigil’s Suranne Jones and Lucifer’s Tom Ellis as the grieving parents searching for answers while experiencing Crickley Hall’s supernatural phenomena, with excellent performances from the likes of Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones), Douglas Henshall (Shetland) and Wallander’s David Warner. Read our spoiler-filled episode reviews here. You can stream the series on Hulu, or purchase it on YouTube, Prime and Google Play.

The Mezzotint (2021)

Another instalment of the BBC’s Ghost Story for Christmas series arrived in 2021, thanks once again to horror aficionado Mark Gatiss, this time adapting a 1904 M. R. James 1904 ghost story. 

“The Mezzotint” is about a university museum curator, Edward Williams (played by Skyfall’s Rory Kinnear), who receives an intriguing engraving (or mezzotint) of a country house, which takes a sinister turn when he sees a creepy cloaked figure has appeared in the engraving that wasn’t there before. 

Williams enlists the help of his colleagues (including Downton Abbey’s Robert Bathurst), who notice the figure appears to move closer to the house with nefarious intent each time they look at it. This pleasingly chilling Christmas special is available to watch on iPlayer.

For more spooky fun, there’s a whole playlist of M R James adaptations as part of the BBC’s A Ghost Story for Christmas on YouTube.

Count Magnus (2022)

Continuing a fine (revived) tradition, Mark Gatiss‘ 2022 M.R. James adaptation was “Count Magnus”, a half-hour film starring Jason Watkins (The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies) and MyAnna Buring (Ripper Street). Gatiss was in some ways righting an historical wrong with this one, as original M.R. James adapter Lawrence Gordon Clark, wasn’t able to create his own screen version of the story due to budgetary restraints.

It’s lighter on the scares than Gatiss’ previous entries, so could be a good way in for horror first-timers. Unusually for one of these, this story isn’t set in England but in Sweden, and tells the tale of a long-dead aristocrat who was a brutish landlord renowned for his cruelty. But is he really gone?

The Bones of St. Nicholas (2022)

Yes, this is quite definitely a Christmas episode – it’s set, after all on Christmas Eve – but it’s certainly spooky enough to bring out on Halloween. This 2022 festive special is in many ways, the perfect Inside No. 9 story – macabre, mysterious, funny, and with a little touch of pathos. It also has a terrific guest cast to recommend it, with Simon Callow used to full effect as a ghost story-declaiming church warden, and Shobna Gulati as a comedy chatterbox with her own painful history to tell.

The stars though, as ever, are Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton, who’ve channelled the M.R. James tradition into an original half hour story that’s cleverly plotted and very satisfying to watch. Pemberton plays a man hoping to spend Christmas Eve alone in an historical church, but who is vexed to find himself sharing the experience with a married couple whose travel plans fell through at the last minute. But what explains the visions he keeps seeing…

“The Bones of St. Nicholas” is available to watch in the UK on BBC iPlayer.

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