If you caught my Geek Out: SDCC 2026 Edition, you already got my personal, wildly-biased highlight reel of the con. With ASC and ACPN merging this past year, consider this the companion piece — the straight-up Adult Swim news that actually dropped at San Diego Comic-Con 2026. Because while I was off losing my mind over Transformers toys, [adult swim] was making some genuine announcements.
Mind you, this is the big-ticket stuff, and since yours truly wasn’t in attendance, I had to live vicariously through everyone else (plus some official press releases). It wouldn’t be the first time, either — I actually made the trek out to San Diego a couple of times back in the day. You can dig up our Flashback coverage from 2006 and 2008 over on our Instagram if you want to see how much the con (and honestly, the site) has changed since then. Anyway — here’s the skinny:
President Curtis Gets a Second Term Before His First One Even Aired
In the most on-brand political move imaginable, Adult Swim re-elected President Curtis before a single vote was cast. During the Friday panel for the Rick and Morty spinoff, co-creators and executive producers Dan Harmon and James Siciliano announced the series had already been renewed for a second season — with Season 2 production already underway — a full two days before the show even premiered.
For the uninitiated: President Curtis follows President Andre Curtis, voiced by the great Keith David reprising the role he’s played on the mothership since the Season 2 classic “Get Schwifty.” The premise is basically “every Earthbound weird thing Rick Sanchez can’t be bothered with lands on the President’s desk” — interdimensional diplomacy, paranormal investigations, the occasional cannibalistic Paul Bunyan, that kind of Tuesday. Harmon summed up the relationship between the two shows perfectly as “like Doctor Who and The X-Files.” The panel brought out David alongside co-stars Stephanie Beatriz (Chief of Staff Banks) and Jim Rash (Special Agent O’Doyle).
Adult Swim president Michael Ouweleen framed the early renewal with the line “President Curtis quickly proved himself worthy of another term!” The series premiered this past Sunday night at 11:30 PM ET/PT, right after the Rick and Morty Season 9 finale, with episodes streaming next day on HBO Max. Harmon confirmed Rick and Morty themselves turn up in the opener before the spinoff charts its own course.
Common Side Effects Season 2 — A First Look (That You Had to Be There to See)
Fans of Common Side Effects — the genuinely excellent conspiracy-thriller from co-creators Joe Bennett (Scavengers Reign) and Steve Hely (Veep), with Mike Judge and Greg Daniels executive producing — got treated to an extended first look at Season 2 during the show’s panel.
The catch: the two clips they screened are, by all accounts, staying SDCC-exclusive and not hitting the internet. So if you weren’t in the room, you’ll just have to live vicariously (a feeling I know all too well this week). Bennett and Hely were joined by cast members Martha Kelly (DEA Agent Harrington) and Joseph Lee Anderson (DEA Agent Copano) to tease what’s next for Marshall, Frances, and the little mushroom that can cure literally anything — up to and including death. Season 2 is slated to return to Adult Swim in early 2027.
Adult Swim on the Green
Beyond the panels, the real party was outside the convention center. Adult Swim on the Green returned July 23–26 at 5th Avenue Landing and Convention Way — and crucially, it was free and required no Comic-Con badge, which is about as fan-friendly as it gets.
The centerpiece was the Rick and Morty “RAMbler,” a dome ride dropping fans straight into immersive interdimensional chaos, with additional activations themed around Common Side Effects, President Curtis, Smiling Friends, and Haha, You Clowns, plus free nighttime preview events across the weekend.
I couldn’t be there myself, but the fellas over at The Rick and Morty Podcast were on the ground and were kind enough to share their footage from the Green — check it out:
And One More Thing…
Adult Swim also dropped the trailer for the Robot Chicken: Adult Swim Special — the 25th-anniversary send-up — but that one deserves its own deep dive (and it’s getting one). Keep an eye out for our frame-by-frame breakdown coming soon.
All in all, a solid showing from [adult swim]: a spinoff already guaranteed a future, a genuine gem of a series gearing up for its return, and a fan activation that didn’t even make you buy a badge. Not bad for a long weekend in San Diego. Jelly, but as a spectator, not a visitor… been there, done that.
Official Adult Swim Press Release + Trailer
The full official announcement from Adult Swim regarding the President Curtis Season 2 renewal, provided via Adult Swim PR.
ADULT SWIM ANNOUNCES PRESIDENT CURTIS SEASON TWO NOW IN PRODUCTION
Starring Keith David and Set in the Rick and Morty Universe, a Second Season Confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con Ahead of the Series’ July 26 Series Premiere
BURBANK (July 24, 2026) – President Curtis, the upcoming animated comedy set in the Rick and Morty universe and starring Emmy® Award-winning actor Keith David, will return for a second season. The news was announced today during the series’ San Diego Comic-Con panel, which featured David alongside series co-stars Stephanie Beatriz and Jim Rash, and co-creators and executive producers Dan Harmon and James Siciliano.
The announcement comes ahead of the President Curtis series premiere on Sunday, July 26, at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT on Adult Swim, immediately following the Rick and Morty season finale, with episodes streaming the next day on HBO Max. Season Two will continue the adventures of President Curtis and his team as they confront new cryptid threats, unexpected allies, and increasingly bizarre sci-fi missions.
“President Curtis quickly proved himself worthy of another term!” said Michael Ouweleen, president of Adult Swim. “With Keith David’s inimitably endearing performance and the creativity of Dan, James and the entire show team, this series and this President are what the people need more of – even if they don’t know it yet.”
Set in the Rick and Morty universe, President Curtis stars David alongside Beatriz (Twisted Metal) and Rash (Community). The series follows President Andre Curtis (David) and his eccentric staff as they tackle the kinds of crises that Rick Sanchez could never be bothered with – from interdimensional diplomacy to paranormal investigations and unexplained phenomena.
Harmon and Siciliano also serve as executive producers on President Curtis with Danielle Uhlarik, Monica Mitchell and Steve Levy. You can find the latest trailer here.
About Adult Swim
Adult Swim is the global leader in adult animation, offering critically acclaimed, award-winning series such as “Rick and Morty,” “Robot Chicken,” “Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal,” “SMILING FRIENDS,” and “Common Side Effects.” Fan favorite anime block, Toonami, airs on Saturday nights and has expanded beyond acquisitions, producing original series including “Ninja Kamui” and “Lazarus.” Adult Swim airs nightly from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. (ET/PT) on its linear channel and reaches fans via Max. Connect with Adult Swim on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. Subscribe to Adult Swim on YouTube.
