Before RICK AND MORTY descend on this year's San Diego Comic-Con celebration, it's been officially announced that Season 4 of Adult Swim's fan-favorite animated series will consist of 10 episodes, with the creators already hard at work on a fifth season.
The third season of RICK AND MORTY ended way back in 2017, leaving fans of the insanely popular series to Wubba lubba dub dub their sorrows into a nearby beverage while waiting for more updates. With the show returning this November, soon it will be time for all the beloved characters of the program to make their triumphant return.
As part of the lead-up to RICK AND MORTY's San Diego Comic-Con panel, creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland spoke with Entertainment Weekly about what fans can expect from the upcoming chapter of gross-out gags, time traveling shenanigans, and otherworldly antics:
"This new season will be 10," Roiland told EW. "We’re rolling right into the next batch. The plan has always been to get them out quicker."
As their talk continued, Harmon told the outlet "I think it’s safe to say without fear of being wrong that the gap between seasons 3 and 4 will be the longest and last time that it’s ever so long that it’s ridiculous." The COMMUNITY creator then added, "I don’t know how fast we can do it, but I know it will never be this long again. There were so many things that had to be settled before we even started season 4, and it’s really safe to say — as Justin says — we’re literally writing season 5 while finishing season 4 just to force ourselves to commit to a certain schedule. Not to get anyone’s hopes up, but it is structured into our deal that if we’re going strong and fast there are options to deliver more episodes at a time. Adult Swim can say, 'These are on time and great. Do you want to do more instead of taking a break?' And we can then do more. I’d like to see that day. Just knowing it’s possible makes me eager for it. I feel like a naughty boy when I’m late."
When Adult Swim renewed their commitment to RICK AND MORTY, they'd contracted the show for 70 more episodes! Arguably, if the team is looking to push 10 episodes per season out the door, we could be looking at another 7 years of RICK AND MORTY madness! Yowza! That's a lot of merchandise, video game tie-ins, and belching courtesy of Rick Sanchez. And yeah, considering how much Pickle Rick took the world by storm, one can only imagine what other gags will assume their place of power within the pop culture zeitgest in the years to come. Wubba lubba dub dub indeed!
Be sure to look for more information about Season 4 of RICK AND MORTY as this year's SDCC continues throughout the weekend.