Wubba lubba dub dub. Honestly, if you're a fan, you’re probably tired of hearing that. You’re also probably tired of checking your calendar. We’ve been through the ringer with this show, from the massive 70-episode renewal back in 2018 to the behind-the-scenes chaos that saw co-creator Justin Roiland ousted. Now, we’re staring down the barrel of Rick and Morty Season Eight, and things feel... different.
The hype isn't just about "when." It's about "what."
Adult Swim has officially confirmed that we aren't seeing new episodes until 2025. Yeah, it stings. After a fairly consistent run of yearly releases, the 2024 gap feels like a void. But there’s a massive silver lining here that most people are overlooking while they’re busy re-watching "Total Rickall" for the fifteenth time. This delay isn't a sign of trouble; it's a byproduct of the 2023 writers' and actors' strikes, which stalled production across the entire industry.
For a show as complex as this, a breather might be the best thing that ever happened to it.
The 2025 Reality Check
Let’s get the hard facts out of the way. Rick and Morty Season Eight is slated for a 2025 premiere. This was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter and confirmed through various Adult Swim internal schedules.
Why the wait?
The 2023 WGA strike lasted 148 days. Animation has a notoriously long lead time. You can’t just turn the lights on and have a finished episode of "The Jerrick Trap" ready by Tuesday. The scripts for Season 8 were largely in progress or finished when the strike hit, but the production pipeline—storyboarding, voice recording, and the actual animation—got pushed back.
It’s a domino effect.
Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden, the new voices of Rick and Morty, have one full season under their belts. Season 7 was their trial by fire. Most fans agreed they nailed it, or at least got close enough that the "uncanny valley" feeling disappeared by episode three. Season 8 will be their first chance to really own these characters from day one of production without the shadow of a mid-season casting crisis looming over them.
Changing the Dynamic
The show is evolving. It had to.
For years, the "Evil Morty" and "Rick Prime" arcs were the glue holding the hardcore lore fans together. Then, Season 7 happened. They actually did it. They killed Rick Prime. They didn't save it for a series finale. They just... finished it.
This leaves Rick and Morty Season Eight in a fascinating, if slightly terrifying, position. The main antagonist is dead. Rick is, arguably, more emotionally stable than we’ve ever seen him—which is a low bar, but still.
What now?
The writers have hinted that the show will return to more episodic adventures, but with the weight of the past seven seasons actually sticking. We aren't going back to the mindless "adventure of the week" style of Season 1. We're looking at a show that finally knows it’s allowed to grow up. Showrunner Scott Marder has mentioned in interviews that they have a "ten-season plan." If you do the math, Season 8 is the beginning of the final act of that original 70-episode order.
The stakes aren't just about multiversal collapse anymore. They're about whether Rick Sanchez can actually exist in a world where he isn't constantly fueled by a vendetta. It's meta. It's weird. It's exactly what the show needs to avoid becoming a "Family Guy" clone that runs on fumes for thirty years.
The "Rick and Morty: The Anime" Factor
You can't talk about the delay of Rick and Morty Season Eight without mentioning the Anime spin-off.
Directed by Takashi Sano, this ten-episode series is meant to bridge the gap. It's its own beast. Some fans are annoyed, feeling like it’s a distraction from the main series. Others see it as a necessary expansion of the brand. Regardless of where you stand, the Anime's release in late 2024 is the reason Adult Swim felt comfortable pushing Season 8 to 2025. They’re betting that a different flavor of Rick will keep the audience fed while the main kitchen is remodeled.
It’s a risky play.
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Animation fans are notoriously picky. If the Anime doesn't land, the pressure on Season 8 to be a "return to form" will be astronomical. But let's be real: this team has survived worse. They survived the loss of a co-creator and a complete vocal overhaul. A one-year delay is a speed bump, not a car crash.
What the Scripts Are Looking Like
While we don't have leaked plot points—and frankly, you shouldn't trust anyone who says they do—we do know the writers' room has been firing on all cylinders.
Rob Schrab and the rest of the crew have been posting snippets of life in the writers' room on social media for months. The vibe seems... focused. There’s a sense that they’re trying to find new ways to break the medium. We've already had a "heist" episode that mocked heists, a "Die Hard" episode that mocked "Die Hard," and a literal "Numbericons" movie.
What's left?
Expect Season 8 to lean harder into the "anthology" feel while maintaining the character growth of the Smith family. Summer has become a powerhouse character. Jerry is no longer just a punching bag; he’s a punching bag with dignity. Beth and Space Beth have reached an uneasy truce.
The "status quo" is gone.
Addressing the "Burnout" Rumors
There's a segment of the fandom convinced the show is dying. They point to the ratings dip in Season 7. But looking at traditional cable ratings in 2026 is like looking at a sundial to tell the time. It doesn't give you the whole picture.
Rick and Morty is a streaming juggernaut. It’s consistently in the top tier of Max and Hulu charts. The cultural footprint is still massive. You can't walk into a Spencer’s or a Target without seeing a Pickle Rick socks display. The "death" of the show has been predicted since Season 3, yet here we are, waiting for Season 8.
The shift in tone—less nihilism, more "weird sci-fi family drama"—has alienated some of the "edgelord" fanbase. Good. The show is better when it's trying to say something rather than just trying to shock you. Season 8 is the chance to prove that the heart of the show wasn't just one person, but a collective of some of the weirdest, smartest writers in Hollywood.
Why You Should Care About the 70-Episode Deal
Back in 2018, the industry was shocked when Adult Swim ordered 70 episodes upfront. We are currently in the thick of that contract.
- Season 4: 10 episodes
- Season 5: 10 episodes
- Season 6: 10 episodes
- Season 7: 10 episodes
That leaves 30 episodes left. Rick and Morty Season Eight marks the start of the "final thirty." This is usually where shows either find a second wind or start the long slide toward the finish line. Because the team knows they have at least three more seasons guaranteed, they don't have to write like they're about to be cancelled. They can take big, stupid risks.
They can spend an entire episode on a talking cat. They can kill off a major character and bring them back as a hologram. They can do a silent episode.
That job security is rare in television. It's why Rick and Morty still feels more experimental than almost anything else on the air.
The Technical Evolution
Visually, the show has come a long way. Compare the pilot to "Unmortricken." The lighting, the scale of the backgrounds, the fluidity of the action—it’s night and day.
The production team at Bardel Entertainment and Green Portal Productions has refined the "Rick and Morty" look into a science. With the extra time allotted for Season 8, we’re likely to see even more ambitious set pieces. The "unity" of the multiverse might be gone, but the visual scope of the show is only expanding.
Expect more mixed-media experiments. They’ve dabbled in claymation and live-action bits before. Season 8 is the perfect playground for more of that "Interdimensional Cable" energy, but with a 2025 budget.
How to Prep for the Premiere
Don't just sit there. If you want to be ready for Rick and Morty Season Eight, you need to do more than just wait.
First, go back and watch the "big" episodes of Season 7. Not just for the jokes, but for the character beats. Watch "Wet Kuat Amortican Summer" and pay attention to the bond between Rick and Summer. Watch "Fear No Mort" and realize that Morty is finally becoming his own person, independent of Rick’s influence.
Second, keep an eye on the official Adult Swim social channels around late 2024. That’s when the first real teasers usually drop. We’re looking for titles. Titles in this show are always puns, and they always hint at the movie or trope being parodied.
Third, embrace the Anime. Even if it’s not your "canon," it’s part of the ecosystem now. It’s the appetizer before the main course.
Actionable Steps for the Rick and Morty Fan
The wait for 2025 is long, but you can maximize your experience by focusing on the broader "Rick and Morty" universe.
- Track the Creators: Follow Dan Harmon’s other projects, like Krapopolis. It helps you understand the current "Harmonist" writing style and what might bleed into Season 8.
- Deep Dive the Lore: Use the "Rick and Morty" comics published by Oni Press. They aren't strictly show-canon, but many of the writers overlap, and they explore "What If" scenarios that often mirror the show's logic.
- Monitor the Voice Evolution: Listen to recent interviews with Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden. Understanding how they’ve inhabited these roles will make the transition into Season 8 feel much more natural.
- Audit Your Expectations: Realize that the "Rick Prime" era is over. Season 8 will likely be a "rebuilding" year for Rick’s psyche. Go in expecting character development, not just a hunt for a new big bad.
The show isn't what it was in 2013. It’s better. It’s more bruised, more thoughtful, and significantly weirder. Rick and Morty Season Eight isn't just another ten episodes of television; it’s the beginning of the end of one of the most ambitious experiments in animation history. 2025 can't come soon enough.