Rick and Morty's post-credit scenes have given a nod to one of the MCU's Phase 3 tricks. Each episode of Rick and Morty has featured a brief after credits scene, typically continuing a gag set up in the episode. While the post-credits started as a way to add in a few final laughs, Rick and Morty season 6 used one trick to turn it into a serious story-telling tool.
Marvel films have been known for their post-credit films since the release of Iron Man in 2008. Each film ends with at least one — sometimes up to five, as was the record set by Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 — post-credit scene, teasing the plot lines yet to come or providing a humorous call back to a moment in the film. The only MCU movie to not have a post-credit scene, to date, is Avengers: Endgame; a move that highlighted that it was truly the end of an era.
How Rick and Morty Repeats The MCU's Phase 3 Post-Credits Fakeout Trick
Rick and Morty season 6 closely followed the trend of MCU's Phase 3 post-credits. Some films highlighted important plot points to come in the future — such as Bucky's awakening in Wakanda in Black Panther and Nick Fury turning to dust at the end of Avengers: Infinity War — while others were just for laughs, like Stan Lee chatting with the Watchers in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. By alternating back and forth between the two, audiences never knew what to expect once the credits stopped rolling.
Rick and Morty took a very similar approach with its post-credits in season 6. The season's after credits range from serious moments to pure gags. Some episodes seem to set up future plot points, like Rick Prime recruiting other villains over the span of several episodes and Mr. Nimbus' possible return for a full villainous arc in Rick and Morty season 6 episode 8, "Analyze Piss." Other episodes are in it just for the laughs, like the Night Family dealing with day-to-day life and simply giving up at the end of episode 4, "Night Family."
Rick and Morty's S6 Post-Credits Scenes Reflect The Season Perfectly
The post-credit trend in Rick and Morty season 6 perfectly reflects the mood of the season. Rick and Morty is typically episodic in nature, but season 6 has begun to tease at the concept of a true overarching storyline; with this in mind, it makes sense that the after credit scenes have also begun to flirt with the idea of foreshadowing, connecting episodes in a way the after credit scenes haven't done on this scale before. Not every episode of Rick and Morty season 6 contributes to the serious tone of the developing plot, which is highlighted by the after credits that better resemble the previous seasons' gag endings.
Rick and Morty frequently makes Marvel references, but its use of Phase 3's post-credits trend was one of the most successful. The fact that the comedy series sprinkles in serious moments between laughs makes those moments all the more impactful. By using this dichotomy in the after credits, Rick and Morty highlights the balance that truly makes the series work.