James Gunn and Zack Snyder Argue About Superman on Rick & Morty

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Attention: Contains spoilers for Rick and Morty Season 8 Episode 7! Over the weekend, James Gunn and Zack Snyder settled their differences regarding Superman in an unexpected way – by appearing as exaggerated versions of themselves in a new episode of Rick and Morty. Entitled “Ricker than Fiction,” this episode delved into fan expectations and the inner workings of Hollywood. Although the story primarily revolved around a fictional movie series called Maximum Velocitree, there were also some Superman-related jokes courtesy of these two filmmakers. As per showrunner Scott Marder, both Gunn and Snyder were open to making fun of themselves, and would have been even more jovial if the script had demanded it.

This week in “Rick and Morty”, Gunn seems to be playing the role of the antagonist as Rick and Morty are unhappy with his work on the Maximum Velocitree project. They challenge him at the Warner Bros. studio, where we find Gunn interacting with Snyder in the cafeteria. The portrayal of Snyder is meant to be humorous – he’s shown as having an exaggerated muscular body, and he’s carrying a tray laden only with protein powder.

In this scene, Snyder tells Gunn about his view on the latest version of Superman. He suggests, “He’s known as ‘The Man of Steel,’ not ‘The Man of Chatter.’ I recommend adding more action shots, like him throwing punches! And here’s a tip for you: initiate the punch at full speed initially, then slow it down.” Gunn replies with some frustration, “That’s no secret!

In this episode, while Superman is humorously mentioned, his role is mostly peripheral. The storyline, in fact, is quite expansive, drawing inspiration from both the Transformers and Fast & Furious franchises, yet it could fit seamlessly into various geek culture series. Additionally, the show doesn’t hold back in criticizing its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, and the broader corporate studio system. Rick’s invention, the “Movie-lizer,” seems to represent generative A.I. technology and other filmmaking shortcuts.

On a more personal note, Marder shared with Variety that the idea for this project stemmed from fan criticisms of Rick and Morty. He expressed, “Everyone’s always saying they could do it better, and it seems so simple.” Imagining Rick and Morty attempting to create a movie, he said, “They’re given the keys to the kingdom. But it’s not as easy as it appears. Writing is incredibly challenging. It’s much easier to critique from the couch than to actually put in the effort to create something yourself.” This was all incorporated into the episode in an entertaining, fast-paced manner, without being too preachy about the difficulties of writing.

It’s also true that Marder verified that Gunn and Snyder visited the “Rick and Morty” recording studio as a pair, and they even snapped a selfie there which quickly became popular on social platforms. Marder speculates that they dropped by on the day when Gunn wrapped up main filming for “Superman”. Both of them openly expressed their fondness for the animated series, with Snyder even proposing to reappear on the show whenever they wanted.

In just three more installments, the eighth season of Rick and Morty will air every Sunday at 11 p.m. Eastern Time on Adult Swim. Meanwhile, you can catch Superman in cinemas starting July 11th.

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2025-07-07 17:40