Rick and Morty Season 9 Release Date Update: What the "Sneak Peek" Revealed

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Rick and Morty Season 9: Release Window, Sneak Peek Breakdown, and Reddit-Fueled Clues

Last updated: February 24, 2026

Adult Swim finally dropped a Season 9 “sneak peek” animatic on February 4, 2026—and it’s the clearest signal yet that Rick and Morty Season 9 is real, in the pipeline, and close enough for Adult Swim to start showing footage. Here’s what we know (and what we still don’t) about the Season 9 release date, plus a beat-by-beat look at what the preview implies.

Quick Season 9 Release Date Update (What’s Confirmed vs. What’s Likely)

  • Exact premiere date: Not officially announced yet.
  • Best official hint: In a Reddit AMA on September 25, 2025, showrunner Scott Marder answered “Probably next Fall.” (Given the AMA date, that strongly points to Fall 2026.)
  • Production status: In the same AMA, executive producer Steve Levy said Season 9 is in post, with Season 10 in production and Season 11 writing.
  • Series longevity: Adult Swim announced a two-season pickup in October 2024 that takes the show through Season 12 and “through 2029.”

Watch: Adult Swim’s “Sneak Peek” Animatic (Season 9)

So… When Is Rick and Morty Season 9 Coming Out?

As of February 24, 2026, Adult Swim hasn’t published a specific premiere date for Season 9. The strongest on-the-record timing hint comes from the creators themselves: during a September 25, 2025 Reddit AMA, Scott Marder replied, “Probably next Fall.” In plain English: Fall 2026 is the most credible window right now.

That also fits the bigger business picture. Adult Swim formally announced in New York on October 17, 2024 that it had greenlit two additional seasons, extending the run through Season 12 and stating the series will run “through 2029.” If the plan is steady output, a Fall 2026 Season 9 drop makes sense.

Date What happened Why it matters for Season 9
Oct 17, 2024 Adult Swim greenlit two more seasons (through Season 12; through 2029). Confirms long runway and ongoing production pipeline.
Jul 27, 2025 Season 8 concluded (per multiple recap/streaming coverage). Sets the “gap” clock for Season 9 expectations.
Sep 25, 2025 Reddit AMA: “Probably next Fall.” Also: Season 9 in post, Season 10 in production, Season 11 writing. Creator-provided release window + proof the team is ahead in the pipeline.
Feb 4, 2026 Adult Swim posted the Season 9 animatic “sneak peek” on YouTube. First public footage; suggests the season is far enough along to market.

What the “Sneak Peek” Revealed (Scene Clues You Can Actually Use)

Because this is an animatic (a storyboard-style rough cut), it’s doing two jobs at once: (1) proving Season 9 is real and progressing, and (2) quietly telegraphing the season’s comedic “shape.” Here are the biggest takeaways from what the clip shows.

1) The Smith family’s “normal life” is collapsing under Rick-tech consequences

The preview centers on a school/principal meeting that spirals into classic Rick and Morty escalation. The implied joke-engine is simple: the kids (and the parents) are now living with the fallout of sci-fi “solutions” used for everyday problems.

2) Morty and Summer look more like Rick’s students than Rick’s passengers

Multiple beats in the animatic point to a theme fans have been waiting for: Morty and Summer acting less like overwhelmed teens and more like people who’ve been shaped—competence-wise and attitude-wise—by years of Rick’s influence. If Season 8 pushed emotional consequences, this preview suggests Season 9 might push behavioral consequences.

3) The comedy is “fast and dense” again (and that’s a production tell)

Animatics are often used when a production wants to share early footage without locking final animation. The fact that Adult Swim posted a multi-minute sequence (not a single gag) usually means the episode is far enough along in editorial to show structure, pacing, and the kind of joke density the show wants associated with the new season.

What Reddit Theories Say About the “Sneak Peek” (And the Season 9 Tone Shift)

Reddit’s big read on the preview is that it’s not “just a gag.” A lot of fans see it as a sign the show is leaning into a long-running idea: the Smith kids aren’t just traumatized by adventures—they’re being trained by them, and it’s starting to warp how they behave at home and at school.

Official first look at 'Rick and Morty' Season 9

Another practical Reddit-driven takeaway: people use Adult Swim’s past pattern of releasing early animatics as a rough timing indicator. That’s not an official schedule—but it does explain why “Fall 2026” feels increasingly plausible to the fanbase after the February 2026 drop.

AMA! We're Rick and Morty Executive Producers Scott Marder and Steve Levy!

Production Progress: Why This Season Might Arrive Faster Than Earlier Gaps

In the September 25, 2025 AMA, executive producer Steve Levy said the team had Season 9 in post-production, Season 10 in production, and Season 11 writing—basically confirming a multi-season assembly line. That kind of overlap is how animation series reduce “dead time” between seasons.

On the voice side, the leads have also suggested recording was well underway by late 2025. In an October 2025 interview, the actors behind Rick and Morty discussed how far along recording had progressed, implying the season was deep into its pipeline.

Main cast (expected)

  • Ian Cardoni as Rick Sanchez
  • Harry Belden as Morty Smith
  • Sarah Chalke as Beth (and Space Beth)
  • Chris Parnell as Jerry
  • Spencer Grammer as Summer

More Official Clips & Updates (Instagram)

Rick and Morty Season 9 FAQ (Fast Answers)

Is there an official Season 9 release date?

Not yet. The best official timing hint is “Probably next Fall” (shared September 25, 2025), which points to Fall 2026.

Is the “sneak peek” a full trailer?

No—it's an animatic/preview clip (storyboard-style). It’s more like an early scene drop than a polished trailer.

How far will the show go after Season 9?

Adult Swim announced in October 2024 that the show is picked up through Season 12, and stated it will run through 2029.

Sources (Official + Reporting)