- Fans can’t quite quit The Office, which is rumored to be returning in the near future.
- Ricky Gervais starred in the UK version and makes sense as a possible boss.
- Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Rainn Wilson would make fun bosses in a series reboot.
The Office keeps trending on social media. That’s partially because it’s an ageless comedy series that keeps on giving, but also because there’s the ever existing hope that the show will come back.
Of course, Steve Carrell has gone on record in saying the series couldn’t make it in this climate, so it’s fair to say if The Office does get rebooted, he won’t be part of it.
It’s likely that will be true for the majority – if not all – of the rest of the original cast, too. Short of a reunion show, most of the main cast is fairly long in the tooth at this point.
I still think rebooting The Office could work. You’d need a heck of a cast, but it all starts with finding the right boss to run things. Here are 11 fantastic options to be the new boss on The Office if NBC ever decides to revive it.
Ricky Gervais
If The Office ever returns to television again, why not go back to the guy that made the show famous?
No, not Steve Carrell; the guy who first made the show a hit outside of the United States.
Ricky Gervais is to thanks for The Office constantly running through your brain, as he first introduced us to this quirky office-themed comedy series.
In fact, Gervais eventually paid homage to his role in the show’s success, having appeared on the American rendition during the end of Carrell’s tenure.
Gervais is now 61 and the studios didn’t pick him the first time around, but there’s always a chance to make things right. He’s in pretty high demand, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he wanted another crack at the gig.
Sam Richardson
Richardson to this point is best known for stealing scenes in bit roles, so it’s worth wondering if he can carry an entire series on his own.
Of course, he was so good in limited action on Veep, and he also did a good job shouldering the weight of a show on Detroiters.
Richardson gives us a guy similar to Michael Scott in that he can appear professional at times, but also have woeful social and common sense miscues.
The 39-year old actor is a rising star and deserves a crack at his own project. Spearheading The Office revival could be just the job for him to take the next step in his comedic career.
Will Arnett
Arnett was among the early teases when The Office was searching for Michael Scott’s replacement. He came in hot, telling Jim and co. that he had a surefire plan to turn the Dunder Mifflin Scranton branch around.
When prompted for specifics, suggested he couldn’t tell them unless they hired him first.
Arnett gave us just a snippet of his potential as the new boss for The Office, but his work elsewhere is arguably what is most alluring.
He hasn’t had anything major recently that would keep him from taking the gig, and dreams of someone like his Arrested Development character (Gob Bluth) haven’t been eradicated just yet.
Jason Bateman
Bateman is as busy as anyone on this list of potential new The Office bosses. He just got finished with his mega hit series Ozark, and he’s certainly got bigger fish to fry.
That said, Bateman’s last crack at network television fell flat with Arrested Development routinely cancelled. Assuming he’s not tied up contractually, he could make a perfect fit as a boss of an office.
Why? Because we literally saw him smash this role in Arrested Development with his trademark dry humor.
Unlike Michael Scott, who is more of a doofus, Bateman can produce humor out of his surroundings. He doesn’t need to be the butt of the joke, but he can create humor and feed off of it.
That could give The Office a true freshness, as opposed to the original series.
Hugh Laurie
Laurie is the first guy on this list of potential The Office bosses that will raise an eyebrow. However, he balanced dark humor in drama as well as anyone on House.
And in case you forget to re-up your HBO subscription, he’s been effectively running things like a boss on Avenue 5.
I don’t think it’s a requirement to have “boss-like” experience in past work, but it certainly doesn’t hurt.
Laurie obviously can deliver one-liners, he can drum up the drama, and he can carry a series. He’s literally done it twice now, and he could absolutely do it again.
Bob Odenkirk
If we are looking for callbacks to viable The Office boss candidates, let’s not leave out Odenkirk, who is now looking at some extra time on his hands with Better Call Saul wrapped up.
Odenkirk flashed his potential as the boss of The Office on, well, The Office.
We got to see him in an almost Bizarro world fashion, when Pam was interviewing for a job in Philly. She never took the gig, but we got to see firsthand what Odenkirk’s interpretation of a zany boss would be.
Newsflash; it was a hit.
Jon Hamm
When searching for the next boss of The Office, I really hope NBC (or whatever network takes on this revival) turns over every stone to actually get the casting right.
That means considering less traditional options, or actors and actresses that may offer a different take on the character.
Michael Scott was very much in-your-face and at times not very believable. As in, how could a guy that obtuse actually hold onto a high-ranking position with a company?
Someone like Hamm offers legit polish, to the point where you’d certainly buy him locking down a managerial position at virtually any company.
Of course, he also can provide timely humor, much like we saw in Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Hamm would be a less obvious installation as the next The Office boss. He could carry the show and fill those shoes, but do it in a more subtle fashion.
Mindy Kaling
Not sold on someone like Hamm successfully carrying The Office reboot as the new boss? I can see the backlash, as he could be seen as too stiff or too serious.
Someone who would not be at risk of being too stiff or not funny enough is Mindy Kaling. This could be an excellent attempt at bringing back members of the original cast, while finding someone with the “Michael Scott effect” that could pick up where the show left off.
Kaling was just as weird as Scott, but in her own hilarious way. The writing was on the wall for her to be a “boss bitch”, too.
Could The Office come back with Kaling officially taking over and running Dunder Mifflin into the ground in style? I don’t see why not.
Just imagine all the fashion shows at lunch, too.
Jason Sudeikis
I am very interested in the idea of finding a new boss for The Office that can be taken seriously, but is also a bit wacky.
One actor that stands out as having the perfect combination is Sudeikis, who very well could be free for another big role with Ted Lasso seemingly ending this year.
There’s a good argument for why Ted Lasso season 4 needs to happen, but it sounds like we won’t get it. If true, we could have the opportunity to see more of Sudeikis, who obviously has ties to NBC, and has proven he can carry a series on his own.
On top of that, Sudeikis has some fantastic dry humor, but has also displayed the ability to come off as very seasoned and professional. He could be the perfect “dick” boss, as a nice, fresh counter to what Michael Scott brought us for years.
Rainn Wilson
If we should be looking at Mindy Kaling or other former castmates on the original The Office series, you better believe we see if Rainn Wilson wants the gig.
The man best known as Dwight Schrute has stayed busy since the show ended, but he is not too tied up to circle back and take on this gig.
In fact, he welcomes the possibility.
Assuming he doesn’t change his tune, he could reclaim the manager position the character ended the original show with. Dwight was born to lead this office, after all, and there is zero doubt hilarity would ensue.
Kate McKinnon
One last option to play the boss if there is ever a reboot of The Office is Kate McKinnon. I think it’s important to consider all options when casting The Office boss, and that means men, women, people of color, and the list goes on.
McKinnon needs no introduction, as she’s a powerful, hilarious woman in Hollywood. She was a superstar on SNL and has ties to NBC, but she also is still waiting for her big break on her own.
There’s no doubt McKinnon could give us a crazy boss character to fall in love with, much like Leslie Knope was able to in Parks & Rec.
For realskies.
McKinnon caps my list of potential new bosses in The Office revival discussions, but I’m aware the list doesn’t truly end here.
There are so many viable candidates to play the boss on a new The Office show, with Ben Still, Jenny Slate, Nick Offerman, Chris Rock, and so many more narrowly missing the cut for me.
Love or hate my favorite picks to be the next boss on The Office? Let me hear it – or give me your own choices – in the comments below.
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