It is no secret that Rick and Morty likes to take pot shots at Marvel - even redesigning the Vindicators just to mock Marvel's 'All-New, All-Different' publishing initiative - so it isn't surprising that Thanos' big MCU Infinity Snap has taken some ribbing.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos launches the final stage of his plan to collect all of the Infinity Stones and use their cosmic power in the hopes of bringing balance to the universe. Throughout the movie, different factions of the Avengers launch separate strikes against the Mad Titan, all to no avail, and Thanos achieves his dark mission. In an effort to bring balance to the universe, Thanos wants to extinguish half of all life in existence, something he is finally able to do by the end of the film with a snap of his fingers while in possession of all six Infinity Stones.
In Rick and Morty #48 by Kyle Starks and Marc Ellerby, the dimension-hopping adventurers find themselves being hunted by a villainous space army known as the Red Breath. This is because Rick and Morty were trying to steal a celestial flower, an artifact that grants one the power of a god. Morty consumes the flower and transforms himself into an omnipotent space baby, giving him the power to bend the very fabric of the universe however he sees fit. When Rick tells Morty to use his powers to eliminate the threat, he reacts in true Morty fashion by saying his catchphrase, “Aw gee”. However, since he is a god, the words from his dialogue bubble manifest in the comic itself and crush the Red Breath soldiers. Morty proceeds to turn them into baseballs and roast chicken, using his powers to the fullest. While Morty is proud of himself, Rick comments that he could have just snapped his fingers and willed them out of existence, Morty replies, “Sn-Snap my fingers? I-I don’t know, Rick. Sounds a little anticlimactic.”
It's not the only time Rick and Morty has mocked Thanos, as the comics also reveal the franchise contains its own laughable version of the Infinity Gauntlet. However, while Rick and Morty has affectionately borrowed Marvel icons in the past in order to poke fun, this particular moment is strangely dismissive. In the sequel to Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Tony Stark gets his hands of the Infinity Stones and epically snaps his fingers to eliminate Thanos’ army, poetically putting an end to his reign of terror over the Marvel Universe. It was a huge moment for MCU fans, and yet one Rick and Morty effectively asserts was an anticlimactic close to everything the MCU had done up until that point.
Rather than put a new spin on a Marvel idea by involving adult themes the comics and movies wouldn't touch, here Rick and Morty just takes a snide shot at the cinematic moment in a way that's likely to ruffle movie fans' feathers, especially since Thanos and Tony Stark's respective snaps are generally seen as high points in the MCU. While Rick and Morty generally takes on Marvel in fun, creative ways, its shot at Thanos' snap is unlikely to entertain MCU fans, choosing to dismiss the moment rather than skewer it with the franchise's beloved tragicomic or gross-out flair.
