Keith David is back for President Curtis and promises not much has changed in the Rick and Morty spinoff.
The three-time Emmy winner has been part of the Adult Swim comedy since its second season’s “Get Schwifty” episode, in which the eponymous pair offer President Curtis help save the Earth during the Cromulon singing competition, and became a more frequent player in subsequent seasons, with him and Rick having a love-hate relationship. As part of the franchise’s celebration at 2025’s San Diego Comic-Con, it was announced that a spinoff centered on the character had been greenlit by the network.
Now, in an interview with ScreenRant’s Liam Crowley for his new Western miniseries The Gray House, Keith David offered some insight into the Rick and Morty spinoff show. The star began by confirming the series is going to be released “later on this year,” before sharing that the tone will still largely match that of the mainline show, saying that Curtis “is still the same President that left you” on the Adult Swim hit.
The initial announcement of the President Curtis series confirmed that the show has been co-created by Rick and Morty mastermind Dan Harmon and James Siciliano, who started as a writers assistant on the original series in season 3 before rising to his current position as executive producer and writer on it. The show, which is reuniting David with fellow Community vet Jim Rash and Hazbin Hotel’s Stephanie Beatriz, is said to follow the eponymous President as he deals with calamities Rick and Morty choose to ignore.
The President Curtis cast posing in announcement art
With its greenlight and production, President Curtis has also become the third overall Rick and Morty spinoff. The first came in the form of the 10-episode Vindicators 2 in May 2022, before the divisive anime series adapting said shorts in late 2024. As of now, neither series has been picked up for a second season, giving David’s series a chance to set a new trend for the sci-fi comedy franchise by successfully branching out its storytelling with ongoing shows.
While David may have kept largely mum on what’s to come from the series, his promise of President Curtis building on what fans of Rick and Morty love about the character does come as an assuring sign. The character was notably absent from season 8, with his last appearance coming in season 7’s “Air Force Wong,” in which he started dating Susan Sarandon’s Dr. Wong and, in a moment of heartbreak, takes over a hive mind that she has to help Rick stop. The episode ends with Curtis looking despondent and confessing to Rick he’s considering entering therapy.
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Given Rick and Morty is better known for tackling character development over the course of multiple seasons, it seems unlikely President Curtis will directly go into this self-reflection for David’s character. However, should it indeed pick up right from where he was last left, as the Emmy winner indicates, the zany adventures of the spinoff series could present him with moments of growth, much in the way Rick often finds himself confronting his emotional baggage through his and Morty’s journeys.
Arguably the biggest takeaway from David’s update is that President Curtis will be releasing later this year, marking the first major release update the show has been given. With Rick and Morty season 9 also currently expected to debut in Fall 2026, that would give the franchise another rare instance of having two major releases in one year. Moreover, Adult Swim may be looking to release the shows back-to-back, giving fans of the franchise multiple months worth of Harmon-created episodes.