The popular show Rick and Morty is back, with season 7 just premiering this Sunday, October 15. Among the many questions people continue to ask about the show, whether the main character Rick Sanchez is actually Latino remains at the top of the list. The answer to the question, however, is both very simple and somehow way more complicated than it should be.
At the center of that answer is co-creator Justin Roiland, who did not just help create Rick and Morty, but also voiced both titular characters for 61 episodes. Roiland, however, was fired earlier this year after allegations of domestic violence surfaced. Starting from the first episode of Season 7, titled “How Poppy Got His Poop Back,” however, Roiland was replaced by two separate actors. Ian Cardoni is now voicing Rick Sanchez, while Harry Belden is voicing Morty Smith.
Roiland, however, had been the one to confirm Rick’s cultural background before he was fired. The problem is, of course, that he both confirmed that Rick Sanchez was “Hispanic,” without ever specifying what that meant, and said that his cultural background was “irrelevant” to the series. This means that his background has never been clearly addressed, and it is unlikely to ever be directly addressed in the show.
Despite this, there are some context clues that might give us an idea of Rick’s heritage. The Season 2 episode “Auto Erotic Assimilation” sees Rick dress like a fighter from the Mexican Revolution. That at least gives the theory of Rick Sanchez having Mexican roots some credence, as the clothes are ones Rick picks himself. Of course, it’s just as likely Rick is a grey-skinned part-alien and his “Hispanic” or “Latino” heritage is just a quick “wink” the creators threw in there knowing they would never have to pay it off.
But we’re going to choose to believe in Mexican Rick Sanchez until proven otherwise. And we’re certainly not the only ones, with comments online ranging from “Friendly reminder that Rick Sanchez is a Latino character” to “rick sanchez latino bisexual king and thats on canon.”