‘Adventure Time’s Kumail Nanjiani Isn’t in ‘Fionna & Cake’ Because of a Common Casting Issue
Adventure Time spinoff Fionna & Cake, which further explores the show’s multiverse, is missing some familiar cast members from the original series. When the new show debuted on August 31, several were quick to point out that Neil Patrick Harris has not returned to voice Prince Gumball.
The Mary Sue can confirm via advanced episode screeners that unfortunately, another beloved cast member has also been replaced: Kumail Nanjiani, who voiced the god Prismo in Adventure Time.
When a fan posted on X about Nanjiani being replaced by Sean Rohani, Nanjiani replied in a now-deleted post, “Yeah, that’s not me. I would have loved to have voiced Prismo again. He’s one of my absolute favorite characters I’ve ever had the honor of playing. He is very close to my heart. Unfortunately, they never asked me to come back and voice him again. I would have done it for free.”
However, it seems things aren’t that simple. In another since-deleted post, Adventure Time showrunner and Fionna & Cake executive producer Adam Muto replied to Nanjiani, “Hey, we would have loved to have you back. We were told by casting that several offers went out to your reps. We said we could be flexible in scheduling, but received a respectful pass. Sorry it didn’t work out.”
This also came as a surprise to Nanjiani, who wrote back, “Wow. They never told me. That is ridiculous. I am very sorry for that. And I will be talking to my reps. Can you tell me when you would have sent the offer? I want to figure out what happened. And congrats on the premiere!”
It’s unclear why the initial exchange between Nanjiani and Muto has been deleted, but assuming everyone is being 100 percent truthful here, it isn’t the first time an agent has said no to a role that an actor wanted to take. Star Trek: Picard and Carnival Row writer Marc Bernardin posted a screenshot of Nanjiani and Muto’s deleted interaction on Instagram, and the comments reflect this apparently persistent problem.
For example, Missing producer Sev Ohanian commented, “Yikes. This stuff happens. I once offered a lead role on an indie film to a particular actor. We had a meeting with the actor, he said he’d get back to us. His rep called us it’s a no go. I had a feeling something was up. We called the actor directly and he met with us again, said he actually hasn’t decided yet. Ended up taking on the role. His agent was PISSED at me. The movie blows up. Actor made a ton of money and got more acclaim. Agent still won’t admit we were right.” He added a shrug emoji for good measure.
Another Star Trek: Picard writer commented, “I hate how fucking common this is.”
Unfortunately, this puts Nanjiani, Muto, and new Prismo actor Sean Rohani in a really awkward position. If Fionna & Cake is renewed for a second season and Prismo makes appearances down the line, will Nanjiani voice the character? Will Rohani? Will they take turns?
Two new episodes of Fionna & Cake will be released on Max every Thursday between now and September 28. Season 1 has a total of 10 episodes, each 30 minutes in length.
(featured image: Cartoon Network / Kate Green, Getty Images for eOne)
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