If you’re a fan of Rick and Morty, then we’ve got some good news – the new season of the twisted animated show is on its way to Adult Swim. The creators have already released two sneak peeks of season 8 that will give you a taste of what’s next for the mad scientist, his neurotic grandson, and the rest of the Sanchez family.
Rick and Morty’s season 7 marked a huge shift for the series. Adult Swim parted ways with Justin Roiland, the co-creator and voice of the two main characters of the series. This happened following the actor and writer facing charges of domestic abuse, as well as allegations of sending inappropriate messages to minors.
Nonetheless, season 7 was received well by fans, and the next instalment is already looming on the horizon. Here’s everything we know so far about Rick and Morty season 8.
Rick and Morty season 8 release date
The eighth season of Rick and Morty will debut on Adult Swim on Sunday, 25 May 2025, at 11pm ET/ 8pm PT.
Adult Swim was so confident in the show that in 2018 it renewed the show for 70 episodes, so we’re all but guaranteed years and years of Rick and Morty to come. We should get content running all the way up to season 10.
How to watch Rick and Morty
Rick and Morty typically airs new episodes on Adult Swim in the US, and on E4 in the UK.
If you miss it on TV, you should be able to catch up on the Adult Swim streaming page and All 4.
If you live somewhere else and there’s no official broadcaster, it is possible to watch Adult Swim from outside the US if you want to catch up.
Rick and Morty season 8 cast
The exact cast of Rick and Morty season 8 hasn’t been confirmed. If the cast is the same as season 7, then this is who we expect to return:
- Ian Cardoni as Rick Sanchez
- Harry Belden as Morty Smith
- Chris Parnell as Jerry Smith
- Spencer Grammer as Summer Smith
- Sarah Chalke as Beth Smith and Space Beth
- Dan Harmon as Bird Person
- Tom Kenny as Squanchy and Gene
- Jon Allen as Mr. Poopybutthole
Adult Swim
What could the plot of Rick and Morty season 8 be about?
Here’s the first, enigmatic description of the eighth season:
Rick and Morty is back for Season Eight! Life has meaning again! Anything is possible! Look out for adventures with Summer, Jerry, Beth, and the other Beth. Maybe Butter Bot will get a new task? Whatever happens, you can’t keep Rick and Morty down for long. People have tried!
The ending of season 7 foreshadows a change that may come to Rick and Morty’s relationship. After the Fear Hole experience, the boy concluded that his greatest fear was being too dependent on his grandfather, who in time might want to replace him with someone else.
To face his fears, Morty decided to become independent from Rick. Fans believe this could lead to more solo adventures for the boy in season 8. There is also speculation that he could team up with Evil Morty. Of course, the deteriorating relationship with his grandson won’t reflect well on Rick, who may again reveal his dark side.
The first teasers for the new season reveal two storylines. A sneak peek released in December 2024 shows Rick auditioning both humans and aliens for the role of the new Jerry while the Sanchez family is away. The second clip, in turn, features Rick and Morty on a trip to a distant planet whose inhabitants take celebrating Easter a little too seriously.
Mr. Poopybutthole may play an important role in Season 8. In the season 7 finale, he stole Rick’s gun portal. He used it to swap places with Poopybutthole from another dimension, in which he is still Amy’s husband. However, the woman immediately became suspicious, which may foreshadow a new plot in future episodes.
Adult Swim president Michael Ouweleen stated:
We hope you enjoyed our theater interpretations of ‘Rick and Morty,’ especially if you are well-off/impulsive and now want to back a Broadway version of the show. For the rest of you, we’re glad you now know when Season Eight is starting so you have time to stretch and get loose because the team has yet again made a totally great season of television.
Watch the best Rick and Morty shorts
The gap between seasons can be frustrating, but you can fill the time by watching the Rick and Morty shorts, which drop sporadically.
One of the best is Samurai & Shogun, an official five-minute animated samurai take on the show, created (in Japanese!) by a Japanese animation studio:
If you enjoyed that, then you may enjoy… Samurai & Shogun Part 2! That’s right, this follow-up picks up (and concludes) the anime adventure, and is just as good.
After season five we were treated to another anime short, Rick and Morty vs. Genocider. This one is even longer, from Tower of God director Takashi Sano, with a bit more plot to it than the last.
Perhaps weirdest of all is Bushworld Adventures, an 11-minute Australian epic from YOLO: Crystal Fantasy creator Michael Cusack. Don’t expect to understand anything, but it’s one hell of a ride.
If you want something more closely linked to the show’s own creators, it’s definitely worth watching their crossover Simpsons couch gag:
And finally, we couldn’t round this list off without including Adult Swim’s trio of live-action Rick and Morty starring none other than Christopher Lloyd – whose Doc Brown was the inspiration for Rick in the first place.
