Stephen Colbert‘s The Late Show is gradually making its way towards the end in May 2026, but the iconic TV show host has hinted at possibly reviving a persona from his past on The Colbert Report. Many will recall the fond memories of this “right-coded” side of Colbert, which popularized him from the show’s beginning to its end in 2014. While numerous fans believed that he was actually right-leaning, it was actually all a show, a faux persona just for laughs. But he mentions that he could bring The Colbert Report character back in the future.
During an exclusive interview with GQ, Colbert spoke about how acting has been a core element of his career, especially during the days of The Colbert Report. He talked about how he had seen himself ending things on the final episode on December 18, 2014, and what would become of his “character.”
And I might still do it someday, but that was my plan. And then taking over for Letterman fell on my lap, but I had a plan of how to end it. I knew the songs we were going to sing, I knew the jokes we were going to do. I knew how I wanted it shot—everything.
In other words, there’s a chance he might bring that right-wing side of him back, but whether as a full-blown character or something else, he doesn’t specify. It’s clear that he wasn’t a fan of masquerading as something he truly wasn’t. “It’s really nice not to have to pretend it any more,” he told CBS News, per The Daily Beast. But now that everyone knows where Colbert actually stands in relation to his political leanings, it would be interesting to see how his fans and the public react if he were to proceed with the plan.
Despite the truth of Colbert’s beliefs being obvious, many online commenters say that right-wing supporters will still likely believe he would be coming to their side. “How long until all the right wing media cling on to it and say, ‘See? Now he gets it!’?” questions one Reddit user. “They don’t even get the satire…” adds another. “Honestly, they will use his clips to prove their arguments,” chimes in a third. Plenty of others begged for Colbert to just bring back the Report, as that would make his sarcasm of the right-wing media and the Trump administration so much better.
Yet, some users also argue that the right-wing party has taken a strong foothold in the media, with plenty of podcasters, news anchors, and other well-known figures, with Charlie Kirk being a prime example. That said, it could be a challenge if Colbert wanted to make his old persona ‘work’ again in this current day and age. But it definitely would be something fans would love to see once The Late Show is over.
