‘President Curtis’: Release Date, Plot, Cast and What to Know About the ‘Rick and Morty’ Spinoff

Adult Swim’s latest animated project is ready to step out from Rick Sanchez’s shadow and into the Oval Office. ‘President Curtis’ is scheduled to premiere on Adult Swim on July 26, 2026, at 11:30 PM EST, with episodes available on HBO Max the following day.

This series takes a beloved supporting character from the ‘Rick and Morty’ universe and gives him his own platform, featuring monster diplomacy and interdimensional mayhem. ‘President Curtis’ is an upcoming American adult animated science fiction comedy series created by Dan Harmon and James Siciliano for Adult Swim, centering on President Andre Curtis and his team as they tackle interdimensional, paranormal, and other unexplained challenges.

The premiere episode will air on July 26 at 11:30 PM ET and PT on Adult Swim, right after the season nine finale of ‘Rick and Morty.’ This strategic scheduling aims to encourage viewers to transition seamlessly from one universe to the next without changing the channel.

‘President Curtis’ will debut on July 26 at 11:30 PM ET and PT on Adult Swim, with the next-day availability on HBO Max making it easy for fans to catch up.

This marks the third spinoff from ‘Rick and Morty,’ following ‘Vindicators 2’ and ‘Rick and Morty, The Anime.’ With varying receptions for those two series, ‘President Curtis’ arrives with its own set of expectations to meet.

The cast of ‘President Curtis’ is led by Keith David, who reprises his role as Curtis, alongside Stephanie Beatriz and Jim Rash. David has been associated with the character for years, lending a unique sense of continuity to this new show.

Keith David and Jim Rash previously worked together on ‘Community,’ another Dan Harmon series, where David portrayed Eloy Patashnik and Rash played Dean Craig Pelton. Additionally, David and Stephanie Beatriz voiced characters together on ‘Hazbin Hotel,’ with David as Husk and Beatriz as Vaggie.

The collaboration doesn’t stop there. David, Beatriz, and Rash have also lent their voices to ‘Krapopolis,’ another Dan Harmon project, voicing Asskill, Daphne, and Dionysus, respectively. Harmon seems to have a reliable pool of voice talent he frequently collaborates with, and ‘President Curtis’ is the latest addition to that lineup.

David expressed in a press release that playing President Curtis has always been a joy, and he is excited to delve deeper into the character’s world in this new series. He looks forward to showing fans the kind of chaos Curtis can create when Rick is not around to overshadow him. This sentiment is fitting for a character who has long been a scene-stealer.

The plot revolves around the commander in chief and his quirky staff as they confront crises that Rick Sanchez typically overlooks, ranging from monster diplomacy to paranormal investigations and other bizarre occurrences. This setup positions Curtis as the one who must address the oddities that Rick simply ignores.

Originally introduced in the ‘Rick and Morty’ episode ‘Get Schwifty’ as an unnamed stand-in for then-President Barack Obama, Curtis was later given the surname Curtis in the fifth season and the first name Andre in the seventh season. Harmon has mentioned that Curtis’ later appearances were influenced by Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and the concept of a cartoonishly inept president, evolving from a composite of both figures into a distinct character.

Harmon noted that the tonal difference between the original series and the spinoff is based on perspective rather than genre. In an exclusive interview with Deadline, he likened the two shows to ‘Doctor Who’ and ‘The X-Files,’ explaining that while Rick might engage in romantic escapades with the collective hivemind Unity on a distant planet, President Curtis is more likely to be found hunting the Loch Ness Monster or the Hodag on Earth, or even traveling to the moon, maintaining a consistent tone without redundancy.

Adult Swim first announced the series at San Diego Comic Con in July 2025, following a surprise appearance by David during the ‘Rick and Morty’ panel. Ahead of its premiere in July 2026, the series has already been renewed for a second season, indicating that Adult Swim has high hopes for Curtis to thrive independently of the flagship show.

Early reactions have been largely positive. One review described ‘President Curtis’ as a delightful addition to Adult Swim’s lineup, suggesting it provides an escape into an alternate reality where the president and his staff routinely confront vampires, witches, aliens, ghosts, and more.

The pilot episode was screened at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, where Harmon and Siciliano made the announcement alongside co-creators. Debuting a series premiere at one of the world’s largest animation festivals signals significant confidence from Adult Swim in the project.

Adult Swim president Michael Ouweleen remarked that there is no better audience for animation than Annecy, calling it the ideal venue for the new series’ debut. He expressed eagerness for everyone to see how well President Curtis performs on his own when the series premieres. With a second season already confirmed before the first episode airs, the network is clearly optimistic about Curtis becoming more than just a side note in the Sanchez family’s adventures.

With Keith David back in the Oval Office and a Rick-free universe to explore, how do you think President Curtis will fare without Rick and Morty stealing his spotlight?