Should there ever be a Rick and Morty live-action adaptation, it’s worth considering some of the actors who could properly play Morty Smith. Since the show first premiered in 2013, it has amassed a significant cult following, generating billions of streams in the past decade. Considering the sizable audience and potential to create revenue, it would make sense for Warner Bros. Discovery to cash in on Rick and Morty by expanding its content with a live-action version.
Adult Swim has already put some thought into a possible live-action series, releasing a couple of teaser clips on Twitter in 2021 starring Christoper Lloyd and Jaeden Martell as live-action versions of Rick and Morty. It was framed as just marketing for the Rick and Morty season 5 finale. Still, it’s worth considering who could play the anxious, submissive boy who endures suffering and crazy adventures at the hands of his grandfather. Throughout the series, Morty has grown to be a much more confident young man who stands up to his irresponsible grandfather. Fortunately, several actors could be perfect for the role of Morty Smith in a Rick and Morty live-action adaptation.
9 Jaeden Martell
Jaeden Martell starred in It as a young Bill Denbrough, and that’s arguably the role for which audiences know him best. Bill is the unspoken leader of the Losers Club in its face-off against Pennywise. Martell did an excellent job playing both the anxious stammering young man who overcomes his fears and stands up to the terrifying clown. This same developmental arc happens to Morty in Rick and Morty. Last and most importantly, Martell has already provided a small sample of what his Morty would look and sound like in the clip from Adult Swim.
8 Jacob Tremblay
Jacob Tremblay is an outstanding young actor with incredible starring performances in films like Wonder and Room, for which he’s netted awards. Tremblay can play the nervous, shy outcast Morty Smith as well as help that character to develop into someone resilient and independent. He also has experience voicing characters in animated films, like Luca, so he can arguably pull off Morty’s unique voice with a higher pitch and nervous inflections, making him feel like a seamless transition from animation to live-action.
7 Asa Butterfield
Asa Butterfield is known by audiences for his ability to play odd and anxious characters, such as Otis from Sex Education. In combination with his ability to pull off unusual facial expressions, he has all the ingredients to play an excellent Morty Smith. From uncomfortable stumbling over his words with Morty’s crush Jessica, to the complete submission to awkward and challenging directions from his grandfather Rick, Butterfield has taken on the roles that prove he has the range. Otis in Sex Education goes through similar growing pains moments as Morty, proving Butterfield’s compatibility with the role.
6 Noah Schnapp
Noah Schnapp’s Will Byers is one of the central characters in Stranger Things, and through Will, Schnapp regularly proves his ability to portray an awkward and anxious young man trying to assert himself. Will being connected to the evil Mind Flayer in the series also shows a dark side to Schnapp’s acting abilities that could lend themselves well to playing the evil Rick and Morty version of Morty. The range and capacity of Schnapp would make a live-action series starring his Morty something to behold.
5 Wyatt Oleff
Wyatt Oleff’s ability to play both an awkward, constantly scared young man as seen in his portrayal of young Stanley Uris in It, and also a confident, strong character in I Am Not Okay With This makes him a great fit for playing multiversal Mortys. Oleff’s range shows his Morty can easily have an arc that moves toward being independent and not relying on his grandpa. Oleff could bring the awkward and overwhelmed Morty to life and give a credible performance as the more assertive mature character. Other stand-out roles including a young Peter Quill in Guardians of the Galaxy and Rumpelstiltskin in Once Upon a Time prove he can pull off sadness, loss, and a dark side if evil Morty were to be included.
4 Gaten Matarazzo
Gaten Matarazzo stars in Stranger Things as Dustin Henderson, a kid who is loud, intelligent, and constantly has his head in the clouds. Audiences may be surprised to learn the range he has, however: Matarazzo has also performed on Broadway in roles for Sweeney Todd and Les Misérables. He has a great range and could help to develop Morty from a submissive character constantly in danger of losing his life because of his grandfather’s inaction into a more determined and confident character. This would also benefit the evil Morty if they were to be included in a live-action adaptation.
3 August Maturo
Young actor August Maturo was a hit in the Disney series Girl Meets World before going on to star in multiple horror films. This experience of moving between light-hearted and fun shows to much darker subject matter is something that also happens frequently in Rick and Morty. Maturo has prepared himself to play well in both tonal extremes and would comfortably settle into a role as dynamic as this one. Not to mention, August won an award for his role in Slapface, which means he is fully capable of delivering the range and growth needed for a proper Morty arc to play out in live-action.
2 Mace Coronel
Like many young actors, Mace Coronel also grew up starring in kid’s shows, where he developed experience as a comic actor. More recently, he starred in the That 90’s Show as Jay, the dim-witted son of Kelso and Jackie. He plays dumb well, and knows how to excel in a comedy role, and both of these traits could serve him well if he were to land the role of Morty. His experience with That 90’s Show has also prepared him to perform in a slightly more mature role with more adult humor, which is at the core of the whole Rick and Morty franchise.
1 Noah Jupe
The talented Noah Jupe grew up with roles in The Quiet Place and The Night Manager, along with the critically acclaimed Honey Boy, which offered an astonishingly powerful performance from the young actor. With this darker and more mature background, Jupe is prepared to tackle the role of Morty and the dark and twisted adventures that Rick often brings his grandson along on. However, Jupe has more than enough talent and range to comfortably pull off the twisted humor that has become a Rick and Morty trademark.
