What time is it? Fionna and Cake time! Grab your friends and go to distant lands because New York Comic Con (NYCC) revealed the return of Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake.
On Sunday, Oct. 12, fans learned that the Adventure Time spin-off series will return with Season 2. At the Main Stage, NYCC guests were the first to see the premiere episode of Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake. After watching an episode featuring new and returning characters, fans enjoyed a Q&A session with the minds behind the series.
The fun will never end in the Land of OOO. Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake is an animated TV series following the adventures of Fionna and Cake. In Season 2, the duo will tackle new challenges while Huntress Wizard embarks on a desperate quest. This Max Original series is made in collaboration with Cartoon Network Studios.
After the first episode’s exciting cliffhanger, NYCC guests got to hear from the creators of Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake. The panel lineup featured executive producer and showrunner Adam Muto, along with voice actors Madeleine Martin (Fionna), Roz Ryan (Cake), and Ashly Burch (Huntress Wizard).
Fans weren’t the only ones who saw the episode. Martin watched the Season 2 premiere for the first time backstage and was excited by its debut.
“I normally receive a storyboard that I just hit the forward key on. I try to watch and animate it myself on my computer. But I’m really moved to see it. Honestly, I heard your [voice actors] voices in my head when I’m reading the script, and it’s very different to see the full cut,” says Martin.
In the upcoming season, fans will see the return of a fan-favorite Adventure Time character. Burch will now voice Huntress Wizard, who will take on a more pivotal role in the series. During the panel, Burch gave fans a glimpse of what Huntress Wizard will be going through in Season 2.
“You get to see her relationship with Finn more, or at least how she feels about it. I think that’s a storyline that people really responded to from Adventure Time. You get to see Huntress Wizard’s perspective, how she interacts with Fionna and Cake, and goes on her own journey. I think it’s cool to see that relationship and what she brings to it,” says Burch.
Because this series is a spin-off of Adventure Time, Muto discussed his creative journey between the two shows. Muto also explained his process for merging the universes and his approach to incorporating Adventure Time lore.
“It’s not about treating lore as something we have to check all the boxes for, but as something that is just their backstory. It kind of presented this access point where the entire original series is basically the backstory of Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake. It’s really hard for me not to want to revisit those characters even in a minor way to show what their lives are,” says Muto.
Ending the panel was the premiere of the official Season 2 trailer. Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake Season 2 premieres on HBO Max starting Oct. 23, followed by weekly episode drops. Following the panel, the panelists spoke with The Pop Insider to share their thoughts and insights about the upcoming season.
How difficult was it to find a storyline for Season 2?
There were challenges when it came to finding what the “meat” of it was going to be, how many threads we could track, and how much to introduce that wasn’t already established. That was a bit tricky because generally we want to plan for a serialized or just one discrete story, but now we have to plan for both.
How do you feel about Fionna’s growth as a character? Has that impacted how you voice her?
Yeah, definitely. I’ve gone through so much life since I started the show. Each week, when I would get a script for the show, there’d be so many things I’d see in Fionna’s character that mirror my own life. I definitely have embedded myself in Fionna’s character, and I feel like, as she’s found her authentic self, I’ve kind of found myself playing her.
'Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake' return with a brand-new season. | Source: HBO Max
Huntress Wizard becomes a pivotal character in Season 2. | Source: HBO Max
Season 2 premieres on Oct. 23. | Source: HBO Max
Was it difficult to get back into your character? Are there any challenges with voice acting ‘Cake’?
No, I had no problem because they allowed me to create her. I’ve been in the studio with the same director over and over and over — so, we have that unspoken thing. It was just like riding a bike; getting back on and jumping right back in.
The wonderful thing about voice acting is that there is no ceiling. They [voice directors] would prefer you go over the top and reel you back in as opposed to asking you to “give me more.” A lot of times, I get very loud and very out there, and they’ll say, “Roz, just reel in a little bit.” It’s fun for me. I love it so much, and I found my niche in that.
What was your thought process going into the audition, and what was your reaction to getting the role of Huntress Wizard?
I knew that Huntress Wizard was a legacy character; that [she] was important to lots of people, including me as an Adventure Time fan. So, I just really wanted to do her justice. I worked on Adventure Time as a writer, I’d done some voices [on the show], and I’ve known Adam for many years. So, I kind of also knew they weren’t going to let me do anything that would screw it up.
I was really excited to get the role. She’s such a cool character, and she’s been so mysterious for so long. This season, we really get to dig in and learn more about her, which, as a fan of the show, is very exciting.v
