Is 'The Office' coming back? What we know about a rumored reboot.

Everybody stay calm! After years of rumors, it may be time to report back to work at Dunder Mifflin.

One of the most beloved sitcoms of all time, NBC's U.S. version of "The Office," could be returning. There has been speculation about a potential revival for years, especially after the show gained new life on streaming. But now, there's reason to believe it might actually be happening. What might a reboot of "The Office" even look like, though? And if it moves forward, which cast members, if any, would be in?

Bears, beets, reboots

Puck recently revealed that "The Office" showrunner Greg Daniels is "set to do a reboot." This was mentioned in a report about the end of the writers strike, and while discussing the fact that many project announcements were held back during the work stoppage, the article cited an "Office" reboot as an example. 

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Puck's Matthew Belloni subsequently clarified this is "still a waaays away," though. According to Belloni, "Right before the strike, Daniels was closing a pact to return to the format and see if he can come up with something worth making. Now, post-strike, he'll close the deal and do just that."

Daniels has talked about a potential reboot in the past, providing insight into what he might come up with. Speaking to Collider in 2022, he imagined that an "Office" revival wouldn't simply be a continuation of the previous show. "I don't think it would be the same characters," he said. "I think it would just be sort of like an extension of the universe, you know what I mean, like the way '[The] Mandalorian' is like an extension of 'Star Wars.'"

Indeed, Daniels told Entertainment Weekly he doesn't "see it being a reboot like the way 'Will & Grace' was rebooted," and he told The Hollywood Reporter continuing the same show wouldn’t work, in part because "the content was very much pitched for that period of time" when viewers were less "sensitive."

Who's in, and who's out?

But assuming Daniels' idea would leave room for certain cast members to return, who might come back?

Steve Carell's involvement can safely be ruled out, as he has said he isn't interested. The actor told Time he loves the original show "too much to ever want to do it again." Jenna Fischer, similarly, said on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" she would "not do an 'Office' reboot" but would "love to do a reunion special." Angela Kinsey, though, joked she'd "do anything they called me to do," and Ellie Kemper agreed she "will be there." Recently, Ed Helms said he'd "love" to do a reunion but also doesn't "feel like it's right." Paul Lieberstein, who was a producer on the show in addition to playing Toby, argued to The Daily Beast that a "one-off special," not a reboot, "would be the way to go."

While John Krasinski is so busy that it’s hard to imagine him having time for a regular role in an ongoing "Office" series, he has still expressed interest in returning as Jim. "If they can come up with a way to bring us all back, no matter what it is, I'll say yes," he told Entertainment Tonight. Rainn Wilson also sounds open to returning as Dwight. "I'd love to revisit 'The Office,'" he told Collider, noting he already told Daniels he'd "love to do something." Plus, Mindy Kaling told StyleCaster that if Daniels is in charge, she "would be excited and supportive and try to help in any way I could," while Brian Baumgartner told Entertainment Tonight he'd return as Kevin if Daniels "came up with an idea that made sense."

Overall, though, B.J. Novak noted to Deadline, "You wouldn’t get everyone back together, that ship has sailed." But if Daniels is using "The Mandalorian" as a comparison, perhaps the reboot could center on a new cast while leaving room for appearances by the classic characters here and there, similar to the way Luke Skywalker popped up in the "Star Wars" series. To be sure, plenty of reboots have disappointed audiences in the past. But there’s no question about it: "Office" fans are ready to get hurt again.