James Gunn and Zack Snyder—two of the most talked-about directors behind different versions of Superman—have surprised fans in a way no one saw coming. The two filmmakers made unexpected voice cameos in Season 8, Episode 7 of Rick and Morty, playing exaggerated versions of themselves in a chaotic and hilarious crossover moment.
The episode, titled Ricker Than Fiction, follows Rick and Morty as they grow frustrated with the direction of their favorite movie franchise, Maximum Velocitree. Determined to fix it, they head to Warner Bros., where they meet James Gunn, the in-universe director and producer of the series. Gunn then runs into Zack Snyder in the studio cafeteria, leading to a cheeky exchange about their Superman takes.
“Just saw your new cut of Superman,” Snyder tells Gunn. “Word of advice—he’s the Man of Steel, not the Man of Conversation. Do more shots of him punching!”
He also warns Gunn not to take Rick Sanchez too seriously, joking that Rick once “sealed Christopher Nolan in a bookcase to punish him for Interstellar.”
Eventually, Rick and Morty hijack the storyline with the help of Jerry and become the new villains in the franchise. After their dramatic exit, Gunn exclaims, “They did it! What an ending! They out-done the Gunn!”
According to Variety, executive producer Scott Marder shared that both directors were thrilled to participate. “They were good sports,” Marder said, adding that both Gunn and Snyder are fans of the show and had no issue with the script’s playful jabs. Gunn even recorded his lines right after wrapping filming on his upcoming Superman reboot.
“They’ve got creative freedom very few people have in Hollywood to take big swings,” Marder added. “And they laughed at everything we threw at them.”
This surprise team-up marks one of the most unexpected—and entertaining—collabs in DC history, showing the lighter side of two of its most iconic filmmakers.
