Yeppers, it's true! The Office reboot just confirmed its first returning star, and the excitement for the in-the-works continuation series has officially increased. Obviously, all (okay, most) of us fans are excited to see what's in store for the upcoming Peacock follow-up of the beloved sitcom, but let's be honest, we're all waiting to find out who from the original could be coming back.
Well, our first Dunder Mifflin alum has boarded the reboot to reprise his character: Oscar Nuñez will bring back his character Oscar Martinez. Variety notes that Oscar will not be a central character in the new series set in the same universe as all our favorite characters. Additionally, he's been part of the pilot script from the beginning and will be in the mix with the other new characters.
Even though Oscar might not have been our first draft pick for a returnee in The Office offshoot, he's a consistently hilarious character who has the bittersweet ability to see through the chaos and nonsense of his eccentric coworkers. We weren't expecting Oscar, but we also weren't expecting to see Steve Carell returns as Michael Scott either. (He's starring in a new HBO comedy, by the way.)
Personally, I was holding out hope for a Jim and Pam reunion or a pop-in from Ellie Kemper's Erin (since Kemper's star has risen with Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) or even someone unexpected like Rashida Jones' Karen. There could still be more returning stars to be announced, and even more could drop by should the reboot prove successful and return for additional seasons.
Oscar Nuñez reprises role in The Office reboot series
There will surely be plenty of opportunities for some Dunder Mifflin icons like Stanley, Phyllis, Angela, and Kevin to reprise their roles and sprinkle a little nostalgia on the new show and share their magic with the new cast. What would be the wildest option, and perhaps even the funniest, is a cameo appearance from Dwight. Parenthood likely hasn't softened his antics one bit.
The Office boss Greg Daniels returns as creator and executive producer of the new series along with Michael Korman (the real-life husband of Ellie Kemper, so the dream lives on!). Daniels previously revealed that Oscar was always one of the characters he wanted to further explore. I mean, Oscar was running for state Senate in the final season. Who knows what Oscar could have gotten up to in the past decade since The Office ended?
Few details have been revealed about Peacock's series, though its rumored to be titled The Paper and will feature the same Dunder Mifflin camera crew following the staff of a struggling Midwestern newspaper. The paper's publisher attempts to save the historic publication by employing volunteer reporters. How does Oscar fit into this? After all, he wasn't a paper salesman at Dunder Mifflin. Does the paper need an account? Are they interviewing their state senator?
Domhnall Gleeson, Sabrina Impacciatore, Chelsea Frei, Melvin Gregg, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Alex Edelman, Ramona Young, Eric Rahill, and Tim Key are among the main cast's ensemble, with recurring and guest starring roles from the likes of Nancy Lenehan, Molly Ephraim, and Tracy Letts. Beyond cast and plot details, Peacock hasn't shared release plans for the highly anticipated series.