Showrunner Scott Marder and co-creator Dan Harmon of Rick and Morty have admitted that they are not quite done with Evil Morty’s arc. The popular animated sci-fi sitcom concluded its seventh season with the episode titled Fear No Mort, which aired in December of last year.
The beloved duo’s arcs were neatly wrapped up, the main plot thread of the show was tied, and new and exciting territory was explored in this thrilling seventh season. In an interview with Variety, Harmon and Marder have gone in-depth with Rick and Morty Season 7, in addition to offering a spoiler-free preview of Season 8.
Marder said that fans can anticipate seeing Evil Morty again. The showrunner attested to having numerous “plans and grand design” with one of the most iconic Rick and Morty villains.
For those who might want a quick recap, Evil Morty made his debut as the mastermind behind the Evil Rick plot in Season 1, Episode 10, Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind. Ever since, he has intermittently made cameos in the series, consistently causing havoc in his wake.
Major Evil Morty Spoiler Revealed by Rick and Morty Co-creator
One huge surprise in Rick and Morty Season 7 was the abrupt death of a character that viewers had anticipated to be around for the entire run of the show. After Rick Prime was killed off in the show, co-creator Dan Harmon assured viewers not to worry because there was still more to be told (see his interview with Variety).
And now the news that Evil Morty will be present in upcoming seasons has given us some hope of how the canonical storylines might develop. The season finale took place following Rick’s victory over his arch-enemy, Rick Prime. The mid-season finale provided fans with the backstory of Evil Morty, the second ‘antagonist’ of the series, and set up a thrilling battle against Prime.
Next, Evil Morty left, telling the two not to follow him because he might use a device that can make people vanish and would never be seen in any different dimension. The way the scene was portrayed gave the impression that his story was over, but Variety was recently informed by Harmon and showrunner Scott Marder that this was not the case. The latter confirmed:
“We can expect to see him in the future. We certainly have plans and grand designs with him, for sure.”
This last episode concluded “Rick’s big, serialized, one-armed man canonical thing”, according to Harmon, who further added:
“There’s such a futility to his goal of basically beating himself to death with his barbaric fists that we’re leaning into the futility of it; it’s a thing that he needed to do, and now it’s done. And that is not necessarily a wonderful thing that then makes him able to relax.”
Moreover, Season 7’s ratings on Rotten Tomatoes have been overwhelmingly positive, with an average score of 6.30/10 and approximately 75%. This achievement highlights how Rick and Morty has endured and influenced culture, captivating viewers with its distinct fusion of humor, adventure, and existential themes.
What to Expect in Season 8 of Rick and Morty?
With the conclusion of some of the major canonical storylines, Dan Harmon also hinted at what to expect in Season 8 of the show. He stated that Rick and Morty is now open to having more ideas spark further serialization down the line (via Variety):
“There’s obviously been a lot of shakeups and transitions that have happened that are luckily coinciding with some of these canonical storylines being resolved. If I could set a framework for fans of the show, it’s the old characters and all these things, but it’s like, this is an opportunity for a rebirth…”
Harmon went on to say that this “rebirth” implied that more of the avant-garde concepts might eventually develop into substantial canonical narratives of their own:
“I think people should expect more random embers shooting off of that fire and turning into organically gigantic serialized things of their own.”
However, he continued to concentrate on narrating stories in short bursts, adding:
“I will always target the episodic personally. Because, like, your job is to fight gravity. And gravity is serialization. That’s what happens organically; gravity is a great thing. But you’re supposed to want to fly.”
With everything on the table for Rick and Morty Season 8, viewers should brace themselves for Evil Morty’s next move, which will undoubtedly spell trouble for Rick and Morty. Given the maker’s declaration of “grand designs” for the character, it is reasonable to assume that the next season will be an exciting and unpredictable ride.
Fans of Rick and Morty can stream the show on Max.
