The news that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is coming to an end has shocked fans and late-night hosts alike. Of course, one has to assume nobody was quite as shocked as Colbert himself, who was likely expecting to spend years, possibly decades, more hosting the show. One big question is just what Colbert will do once his tenure on The Late Show comes to an end. It appears he’s ready to entertain offers.
Colbert Jokes About Going To Streaming, And Why Not?
While it’s been suggested that Colbert’s targeting of the Trump administration had a part in The Late Show’s cancellation, Colbert did not pull punches on Friday’s show, putting on a mask of Vice President J.D. Vance and acting like a spoiled child. After dropping the mask at two different points during the monologue, Colbert offered his new “character” to two different streaming platforms, saying…
Netflix, call me. I’m available in June… I will also entertain offers from Amazon.
Colbert is joking, of course. At the same time, while I’m not sure a show featuring Colbert playing J.D. Vance will get picked up by a major streaming platform, if he’s interested, it seems like Colbert himself could be.
Colbert’s predecessor on The Late Show, David Letterman, actually did go to Netflix with the long-form interview show My Next Guest Needs No Introduction. While John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight is technically an HBO production, it appears that most people who watch it do so with an HBO Max subscription.
Considering the popularity of Oliver’s show specifically, it would not be shocking at all if another streamer, like a Netflix or a Prime Video, wanted to get in on that action.
Depending on Colbert’s contract situation, he may not be able to entertain offers until he’s officially done with The Late Show, but considering his popularity, which may only grow as we approach the end of the show, it seems likely the comedian will have some options. The last time that a late-night host was unceremoniously removed from his show, when Conan O'Brien left The Tonight Show, he had no trouble finding work.
Of Course, He Could Always Go To Work For Josh Brolin
Stephen Colbert will likely have his pick of jobs on screen, but if he’s looking for a change of pace, he’s getting other offers as well. Weapons co-star Josh Brolin appeared on The Late Show last week as well and offered Colbert a different job, saying…
The gig with me, my assistant.
Colbert joked that he thought that would be an easy job, as he didn't expect Josh Brolin to be a very demanding boss. If that’s the case, maybe Colbert will take him up on it. Sometimes you just need a low-stress job.
What Stephen Colbert does next will likely remain a big question to us until after his time on The Late Show is done. What seems likely is that he’ll have a job if he wants one, even if it means carrying Josh Brolin’s bags.
