Rick and Morty had a lot riding on Season 7, but I think it's proven in spades there is a future for this series after co-creator Justin Roiland was fired. Between the hilarious nod to their Space Jam cameo and the major game-changing reveals, I wouldn't be surprised if people are wondering about Season 8's arrival before Season 7 even ends on the 2023 TV schedule. Fortunately, we have a positive update on the progress of the next season, thanks to Beth's voice actress, Sarah Chalke.
While the minds behind Rick and Morty assure fans that there's nothing to worry about following that game-changing story in Season 7, Sarah Chalke offered an update on how far along work is on Season 8. She said the following during an interview with Screen Rant, and made it seem like it's possible the wait for Season 8 won't be that long:
The Rick and Morty voice actors haven't seen the scripts for Season 8, but Sarah Chalke says they are written, and she added that schedules are being worked out for when to record it. There's nothing mentioned about the progress made on the animation front, so it is hard to say definitively when the new season will be here.
With that being said, some progress is better than no progress, and it wouldn't be surprising for me if we eventually learn that Rick and Morty Season 8 will arrive around this time on the 2024 TV schedule or perhaps in early 2025. Assuming that's accurate, I can spend the time in between re-watching the show with my Max subscription, and further theorizing what's next for the show after some of Season 7's wild reveals.
The biggest question Season 8 of Rick and Morty will have to address is what is next for Rick C-137 now that he's completed his mission of killing Rick Prime. The season has featured Rick being kind of reckless and seemingly hoping for death (one episode even hilariously predicted his death by Bigfoot), and we've even gotten a standalone Morty episode. What is Rick's next goal now that he's completed what he set out to do, and how does he move on from the trauma tied to that event? Hopefully, Season 8 will answer those questions.
From a fan perspective, it will be interesting to see how Rick and Morty further evolves after finding voice actors to serve as Justin Roiland's replacements. I had feared the new voices may change the series for me, but I quickly realized the recasting wasn't as big a deal as I thought. Provided that Season 8 maintains the same quality as Season 7, I think I'll be a happy camper whenever it arrives.
Before we get to speculating too much more about Rick and Morty Season 8, we need to see the Season 7 finale. Tune in Sunday, December 17th at 11:00 p.m. ET on Adult Swim, for the final episode of the season and for potentially another big reveal that will make the wait for Season 8, however long it may be, more agonizing.