The Rick and Morty multiverse just got a whole lot bigger. During the show’s San Diego Comic-Con panel, Adult Swim dropped a surprise announcement that they are developing a brand-new animated comedy called President Curtis.
The series will bring back the fan-favorite Commander-in-Chief, voiced by the legendary Keith David, in his first solo outing.
David even made a surprise appearance to celebrate the big reveal, sending fans into an absolute frenzy.
The new series comes from Rick and Morty executive producers Dan Harmon and James Siciliano, the same creative minds who’ve been steering the original show into absurd awesomeness for years. This time, they’re zeroing in on President Andre Curtis, a character who’s been a scene-stealer since his debut.
Joining David in the voice cast are Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and Jim Rash (Community). Rash and David’s reunion keeps this firmly within the “Harmon Creative Universe,” considering both worked with him on Community.
David has voiced President Curtis across multiple Rick and Morty seasons, but now the character is getting his own platform to shine. In a statement, David shared just how pumped he is for this:
“President Curtis has always been a blast to play. Getting to explore his world more deeply in this new series is a dream. I can’t wait for fans to see what kind of chaos he stirs up when Rick isn’t around to steal the spotlight.”
Given how much havoc Rick Sanchez usually leaves in his wake, it’s going to be wild watching Curtis deal with crises that even Rick wouldn’t touch.
According to the official logline, President Curtis will follow the Commander-in-Chief and his team as they handle problems way beyond the Oval Office:
“‘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.”
Sounds like a mix of political satire, sci-fi insanity, and the kind of weirdness and comedy Rick and Morty fans enjoy.
Adult Swim president Michael Ouweleen had nothing but praise for the new show and its star character:
“This is a series we would have greenlit even if it didn’t have anything at all to do with ‘Rick and Morty.’ President Andre Curtis is just that good of a character. The rest of the world the team has fleshed out is super fun and totally stands on its own. We can’t wait for you to see it.”
That says a lot about the strength of this concept, and the fact that Adult Swim believes this show can thrive even without Rick and Morty constantly barging in.
David has been absolutely crushing it in voice work lately. Aside from reprising Curtis, he’s been popping up all over the animation scene: Hulu’s King of the Hill revival, Harbin Hotel, Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, Family Guy, Hit-Monkey, Masters of the Universe: Revolution, and more.
This isn’t the first time Adult Swim has spun off a piece of the Rick and Morty multiverse. Fans have already seen projects like Vindicators 2: Last Stand Between Earth and Doom and Rick and Morty: The Anime, plus a stack of shorts and games. But President Curtis feels like the most fun spinoff yet, building a whole new world around a character fans already love.
