Dan Stevens Discusses Taking Over the Show’s Lead Role (Exclusive)

When Solar Opposites required a new actor for its lead character, the popular Hulu animated series took a distinctly different approach compared to Rick and Morty . Both shows had to replace their lead voice actor and producer, Justin Roiland, who was removed from his roles. While Rick and Morty opted for actors who could mimic Roiland’s original characters, Solar Opposites seized this opportunity to reinvent the character of Korvo completely. Roiland was replaced by fan-favorite genre star Dan Stevens, who introduced a thick British accent to the role.

Korvo’s new voice made a significant impact, as the show embraced this change and used it to their advantage. The fifth season of Solar Opposites is now available on Hulu. Ahead of its premiere, ComicBook had a conversation with Stevens about his new role as the lead in Solar Opposites .

“I think it’s a real gem and I’m such a fan of adult animation,” Stevens shared. “I’ve always loved doing voiceover and animation, and I’ve slowly been working my way into that side of the industry. It takes longer than you might think. It doesn’t necessarily translate that just because you’re in a bunch of TV shows and movies or whatever that you’ll just sort of end up in these things. Some people don’t even want to go here, but it’s a real passion of mine. I love doing it. And so when they were looking for the voice, I just threw my hat into the ring. Mike [McMahon] found the idea of this angry, very particular kind of Brit very funny. I felt they came up with a very sweet and simple and silly way of just being like, ‘Okay, it’s different now.’

“I think maybe in the past it was more of a thing where they’d switch out an actor and just carry on and no one would bat an eyelid. I guess it’s more rare now. I was delighted that they could just switch me in so neatly. For the most part, it seems to have gone down pretty well with the fans. I think, if anything, it serves to just point out the difference between this show and Rick and Morty now. I think the similarities were bound by a certain voice and now they’re distinct in that way.”

Stevens added that his natural accent was precisely what the Solar Opposites producers aimed for him to bring to the table. It wasn’t a challenge of how different he could sound; the goal was to provide a fundamentally distinctive voice for Korvo while maintaining the character’s essence.

“They wanted me to do my native accent and it was really just about preserving the tone of Korvo and the character,” Stevens explained. “He’s a very fastidious character, who’s a guy on a mission who’s a bit pissed off to be on this shitty planet but is going to make the most of it, is helplessly in love with Terry. I think that’s where a lot of the sweetness and optimism comes from. It’s another kind of dysfunctional family that time and time again just find a way through any given situation and, also, they’re bound by this love for each other. I’m such a fan of the other characters as well. I think what Thomas [Middleditch] does with Terry is so delightful and it’s great fun to play opposite.”

Season 5 of Solar Opposites is now streaming on Hulu, alongside the first four seasons of the series. The series has already been renewed for Season 6.

Source: ComicBook.com