Colbert's late-night talk show will come to an end in May, over a decade after he took over for David Letterman
Credit: Lloyd Bishop/NBC via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Stephen Colbert is sounding off on rumors surrounding his next move
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert approaches its end in May 2026 after over a decade of Colbert hosting
- Colbert previously revealed he has a new project in the works, co-writing a Lord of the Rings film with his son
Stephen Colbert is poking fun at fan speculation about his next career venture.
As the host, 61, prepares for the end of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in May 2026 — following the shocking news of its cancellation — he used a recent episode to address “internet rumors” that “continue to run wild” regarding what's next for him.
“I've heard a lot of theories — everything from I'm moving to CNN to I'm announcing a massive wildlife rescue program to I'm running for president of the United States,” Colbert said on Thursday, April 23. “Now, here's the thing. I can reveal right now that all of those are partially true.”
“Next year, I will be president of an animal sanctuary dedicated to caring for the rare Blitzer Wolf,” Colbert teased, jokingly referring to CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer. “It's a captive breeding program. Nobody tell him."
Colbert then playfully "put all these rumors to rest" and debuted a fake TV project featuring John C. Reilly.
It was announced in July 2025 that The Late Show would be concluding a decade after Colbert took over the hosting role in September 2015 following David Letterman‘s departure. The final episode is set to air on Thursday, May 21.
Credit: Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty
While Colbert’s skit may not have been serious, he did reveal his next big project in March. At the time, Colbert shared via the Warner Bros. social media accounts that he will be writing a new Lord of the Rings film that he and his son, Peter Colbert, pitched to Lord of the Rings filmmaker Peter Jackson two years prior.
The two discussed the news in a video announcement in honor of Tolkein Reading Day, with Colbert admitting, “I’m pretty happy about it.”
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A longtime Lord of the Rings super-fan, Colbert further explained that the idea for upcoming film began when he found himself re-reading early chapters from J.R.R. Tolkein’s 1954 book, The Fellowship of the Ring, which Jackson chose not to include in his hit 2001 blockbuster film of the same name.
“It’s, basically, the chapter is ‘Three Is Company’ through ‘Fog on the Barrow-Downs,’ and I thought, ‘Oh wait, maybe that could be its own story that could fit into the larger story? Could we make something that was completely faithful to the books, while also being completely faithful to the movies that you guys had already made?’” Colbert said.
He added, “I started talking it over with my son, Peter, who is also a screenwriter, and we worked out what we thought would work, especially as a framing device for that story.”
Elsewhere during his latest episode, Colbert announced that he'll be conducting what will likely be The Late Show's final interview with former president Barack Obama on Tuesday, May 5. The conversation will mark Obama's first interview from the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, Colbert revealed.
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs weekdays on CBS at 11:35 p.m. ET.
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