James Gunn and Zack Snyder’s ‘Rick and Morty’ Cameo Has Former Fans Asking, ‘That’s Still On?’

This past weekend, the two most powerful and divisive directors in the DC Cinematic Universe collaborated on a cameo in the newest Rick and Morty episode, shocking OG Rick and Morty fans and haters alike who had no idea that the show still exists.

Following the Rick and Morty premiere on December 2, 2013, the series graduated from cult hit to cultural phenomenon in record time as sci-fi fans and Adult Swim die-hards raved about a show that was unapologetically nerdy without sacrificing its razor-sharp wit or its propensity for dark, gory, disgusting humor. Before long, Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith were internationally recognized icons, even among the community of TV-watchers who would sooner visit the blender dimension than watch a cartoon about flooble-flops and blooper-doops, or whatever was whipping the neckbeards into a frenzy that week.

Ever since “Pickle Rick” and the Szechuan Sauce saga exponentially increased the Rick and Morty fandom’s public insufferability, both long-time haters of the series and fans of the first couple seasons who distanced themselves from it out of shame have been waiting for Rick and Morty to disappear from the zeitgeist. And, in many social media algorithms it did — until James Gunn and Zack Snyder broke the internet by appearing in “Ricker Than Fiction” on the eve of the Superman premiere.

On the one hand, literally no animated comedy has managed to stay on the air for the better part of a dozen years without alienating some early fans and grinding the gears of haters whose exposure to the series is entirely unwilling. The Golden Age of The Simpsons barely lasted a decade, and even the perennial shows that don’t get the “washed” label, such as South Park, fall in and out of relevancy depending on the quality — and quantity — of the most recent season.

On the other hand, even as a contemporary Rick and Morty fan, some of these viral hate tweets have a point about the last episode oozing of late-series desperation and paper-thin ideas. Having two giant celebrities appear on Rick and Morty as themselves ahead of a big-budget blockbuster release is the kind of Lady-Gaga-Simpsons, Jimmy-Fallon-desk-slapping marketing ploy that reeks of brand synergy and creative staleness.

But given that the rest of Rick and Morty Season Eight has, thus far, been a heartfelt, hilarious and meaningful journey that further develops the characters we’ve known and loved for so many years, even current Rick and Morty-watchers who couldn’t choke out a chuckle at the Gunn-Snyder cafeteria clip may be able to give the show a pass on the occasional parent-company-pleasing cameo. 

That is, so long as Rick and Morty never dares to bring back Elon Tusk.