It has been eight years since Adult Swim first introduced what seemed like nothing more than a crude, animated parody of Marty McFly and Doc Brown’s strange relationship Back to the Future, but has since evolved into one of the most creatively inspired and widely worshipped sci-fi TV shows in recent memory. Yet, we are only approaching Rick and Morty Season 5 after all that time, due to the series’ infamous reputation for extended hiatuses. Luckily, the next Rick and Morty premiere date is actually coming much sooner than eager fans have come to expect.
Hard-core fans likely already know where to watch Rick and Morty streaming, but in the event that their repeated binging of the first four seasons has distracted them known when its official return falls among the 2021 TV premiere dates, no need to call on Mr. Meeseeks to help solve that problem. The following is a quick and convenient guide for all the essential facts to know about Season 5 of co-creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland’s hit, starting with the most important detail.
Rick And Morty Season 5 Premieres June 2021
We have already covered Rick and Morty’s penchant for long gaps between seasons or even in the middle of one - in reference to Season 4 being split in half with a hiatus long enough to slip some pandemic related humor in the first episode of its May 2020 return. After the previous three seasons were released two years apart from each other, one would have assumed the same for Season 5, but, in typical Rick and Morty, prepare for a twist.
As revealed by the show’s official Twitter account in March, Rick and Morty Season 5 will premiere Sunday, June 20, 2021 on Adult Swim at 11 p.m. ET/PT. The announcement came complete with the proper premiere of the first Season 5 trailer, which promised a new series of bizarre adventures for the titular grandfather/grandson duo along with as the rest of the Smith family, which brings us too our next slice of good news.
Justin Roiland And The Main Rick And Morty Cast Return For Season 5
There is no official cast list for the fifth season yet (perhaps to prevent spoiling any returning favorite Rick and Morty characters or funny cameos). However, the sight of Rick, Morty, Jerry, Beth, and Summer in the Season 5 teaser was enough for us to confirm that the entire main Rick and Morty cast has come back for the lates episodes, including co-creator Justin Roiland as the voice of the dual title roles (obviously).
The fact that Dan Harmon was virtually accompanied at Rick and Morty’s San Diego Comic Con At Home panel last year by Chris Parnell (who plays Jerry Smith), Sarah Chalke (the voice of Beth), and Summer actress Spencer Grammer (the daughter of Frasier’s Kelsey Grammer) also assures their return. Not to mention, former Scrubs cast member Chalke revealed what it was like recording her lines as Beth during a pandemic on the podcast 10 Questions with Kyle Brandt in February. Apparently, the actress was, once again, recording for two characters this time.
Space Beth Still Has A Role On Rick And Morty Season 5
The explosive Season 4 finale of Rick and Morty introduced us to Space Beth, as the clone of Sarah Chalke’s character whom Rick created in Season 3 has come to be known as by some. However, whether or not Space Beth was really the duplicate or the original was never clarified in the Star Wars send-up, instead ending with the Smiths going on without needing to know the answer - much to the regretful Rick’s chagrin.
On the bright side, it was confirmed that Space Beth is returning in Rick and Morty Season 5 by Dan Harmon at the series’ Adult Swim Fest 2020 panel last November. Perhaps fans will be able to find out if their theories of which Beth is which are confirmed, too.
Rick And Morty Season 5 Will Introduce A New Villain
Speaking of theories, despite an aforementioned lack of confirmation to Rick and Morty’s full upcoming cast list, I have heard some claim they may have cracked who Rick’s new Season 5 nemesis is voiced by. An unfinished clip from the new season released during the show’s Comic Con At Home panel introduced Mr Nimbus, who is disturbed by Rick and Morty after they crash into the ocean.
I actually would agree with some comments that Rick’s impetuous aquatic antagonist - who appears to be a flamboyant parody of Marvel’s Namor, the Submariner - sounds a lot like David Cross of the Arrested Development cast even though he has joined the Rick and Morty cast before. Of course, Mr. Nimbus (as he will proudly remind you he is named) is not the only character debut to look for in Season 5.
Season 5 Will Apparently Introduce A New Love Interest For Morty
The roughly animated Season 5 teaser clip also sees Morty, believing he and Rick are about to perish in a fiery blaze, take the chance to confess his feelings to Jessica (Kari Wahlgren) and then save his ass in the nick of time after she reciprocates and asks him out. Going off this scene alone, it seems Morty and his longtime crush really do have a future, but Dan Harmon would later suggest the contrary.
At the New York PaleyFest in 2020 (via Yahoo!) - which, of course, was virtual - the former Community showrunner claimed that Morty will have a love interest who is not Jessica in a Rick and Morty Season 5 episode, but without any further clues. It makes us wonder who this new romance could be, or even if she is Morty’s girlfriend from that insane montage in “The Vat of Acid Episode” from Season 4. Then again, it might be best to avoid reveling in Rick and Morty fan theories too much - including our own.
Rick And Morty’s Writers Have Already Began Working On Season 7
Speaking of frustrating things that fans often do, it appears that the Rick and Morty writers staff has heard concerns over the show’s long hiatuses loud and clear. Thus, when Covid-19 hit, they took the time to get a head start on crafting the show beyond the upcoming fifth season.
In February 2021, before Season 5’s premiere date was even announced, writer Alex Rubens cheekily tweeted that scripts for Rick and Morty Season 7 are already in the works. Dan Harmon would claim the same thing a month later during a virtual discussion with Adult Swim animators about working from home having previously given details about the status of Season 6 at PaleyFest NY in 2020.
I suppose that, in a world where excessive, ceaseless demand can result in the release of the Snyder Cut among other things, it should come as no surprise that the makes of Rick and Morty would eventually catch up with the patience of their most eager fans. I, however, am just happy to know that there are still plenty of adventures to come from one of the best sci-fi TV shows out there, which is not something often said about an Adult Swim comedy. Wubba lubba dub dub!
