Since Steve Carell’s departure from the hit NBC comedy series The Office after this coming season is inevitable, writers are busy putting together the final exploits of World’s Best Boss Michael Scott. However, the network is looking further into the future to figure out who will replace Carell as head honcho around the office. Speculation and suggestions have mentioned familiar faces like Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson), Holly Flax (Amy Ryan), and even David Brent (Ricky Gervais’ character from the original BBC version of The Office). However, EW has discovered that Danny McBride (Eastbound & Down) and Rhys Darby (Flight of the Conchords) just might be in line to take the job. More details after the jump.
Apparently producers have at least reached out to the actors about joining the cast later this season, but there’s no guarantee that it would be for a role to directly replace Michael Scott. Only adding fuel to the fire, Paul Lieberstein (the showrunner and actor who plays Toby Flenderson) confirms that they’re looking at introducing a new salesman at the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin, but not to necessarily replace Michael Scott. This implies that perhaps someone we already know will actually be promoted to make room for a new salesman.
While McBride is a wholly interesting choice to join the cast of The Office in any capacity, I think Eastbound & Down will be the only television the funnyman will take on for now. That doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t be interested, but aside from working on the second season of the HBO comedy series, McBride has more than a handful of film projects on the horizon. Darby, on the other hand, has an open schedule without the continuance of Flight of the Conchords (where he was absolutely hilarious) — even though he’s a Kiwi, he would be a fantastic and strange blend of Gervais and Carell. All I know is this decision will certainly have a huge impact on the potential future of the series sans Carell, and I’d really like to see the series take a surprising direction.
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Make it Rhys! Murray was the best in FOTC!
Demote Jim, make those two co-managers
Both would be great, but PLEASE cast Rhys Darby! That would be so amazing.
The BEST idea for the post Scott Office is to bring on a series of big hitters as interim bosses. Galafanakis for a few weeks then Patton Oswalt, Will Farrel, Ben Stiller, Louis CK, David Cross, Jack Black, etc. They could mix in big name non comics as well – Willis, Clooney, Pitt… The show has real prestige now and everyone knows they aren't going to find a lasting replacement. The could create some real hype and increase viewership (for awhlie, anyway – probably no more than two seasons) with this tactic. People would tune in and A listers would take the gig for the novelty. Bringing on one guy to fill Carrel's shoes doesn't really make much sense.
That would be a great idea but the only problem is that the ancillary characters will suffer. The episodes will be more about featuring the current “guest” boss. Rhys Darby would be a good choice but his FOTC character was like carrell on the Office so he would have come up with a different character.
It still would be HILLARIOUS to see some of these people on the show, maybe going through an interview process, kinda like a cameo.
Carrel shoes are easily filled, Ricky Gervais arn't, but McBride and Darby are actually really good choices, McBride is very American though I might actually watch this show if he was on it, I would probably.
Wouldn't it make sense for Jim to become sole-manager? To bring in some new guy from the outside to manage after Jim's been managing anyways would be ridiculous.
I think Rhys Darby would be awesome; he was great in Concords and I could see a lot of good office jokes with him.
It's got to be Darby. He's played a variation of bumbling manager on FotC for a few years.
He already chose not to be manager because he makes more money in sales.
I love Darby, but I'd like to see Jeff Goldblum. (Especially now that he left Law and Order).