Christopher Lloyd Plays Rick Sanchez in This Live Action Rick and Morty Promo

This was probably inevitable: here’s Christopher Lloyd playing Rick Sanchez of Rick and Morty. Adult Swim released a very short clip on its Twitter feed this morning of Lloyd, whose role as Doc Brown in Back to the Future is the most obvious inspiration for Rick, playing the sociopathic scientist, presumably from this weekend’s two-episode season finale. It’s the very definition of a tease—Lloyd gets out three words (and a burp, of course) before it fades out—but it’s clearly enough to get the job done. People are talking about Rick and Morty more this morning than they have pretty much all season. Never underestimate the enduring popularity of Christopher Lloyd and/or viral stunt-casting.

Here’s that clip. Morty’s played by Jaeden Martell, a young actor I should probably recognize (he was in It! and Knives Out! two movies I’ve seen! all kids look the same!), and who totally nails Morty’s queasy “aw jeez!” Lloyd, though, is the reason people are talking about this, of course. Check it out.

C-132 #rickandmortypic.twitter.com/oq54C9C5TW

— adult swim (@adultswim) September 3, 2021