While "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" has already been renewed for two more seasons on FXX, one of the show's main characters may be calling it quits.
The Wrap reported Wednesday that the show will go on an extended hiatus after the season 12 finale, which aired last night, and Glenn Howerton's character Dennis may not be returning for seasons 13 and 14.
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Howerton told The Wrap in an interview that it is "hard for him to say" the probability of him returning but did add that him leaving isn't a sure thing.
Per The Wrap:
“I’m not being coy,” Howerton said. “I’m not just trying to spin a mysterious tale here. It will be an artistic decision on behalf of myself, Rob and Charlie as to whether my character comes back, more than a logistical decision.”
“I want to service the show as best I can, and if we decide the best thing for the show is for Dennis to leave, or at least leave for a while for whatever reasons we come up with, then that’s what we’ll do. If we decide it really is best for the show for my character to come back in some capacity then that’s what we’ll do.”
Howerton, along with Philadelphia native Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Kaitlin Olson have starred in the show since its 2005 debut. Danny DeVito joined the cast in season 2. The show follows a gang of crass and often mean-spirited friends who own a South Philly bar and frequently hatch ill-fated plans to try and fulfill selfish goals.
When the show was renewed for two more seasons in 2016, it became the longest-running live-action comedy in TV history, tied with "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet."
As A.V. Club noted in a review, Wednesday night's season 12 finale left the door open for a Dennis exit. Without giving away too much in terms of spoilers, Dennis ends the episode by leaving Philly to be with a new family.
As for Howerton, his potential exit may coincide with the production of another television show he's set to star in. According to Deadline, he's signed up for an NBC single-camera comedy along with comedian Patton Oswalt. The show was created by Seth Meyers, "Saturday Night Live" writer Mike O'Brien and Lorne Michaels' production company.
Here's a synopsis, via Deadline:
Written by O’Brien, the untitled comedy (fka AP Bio) centers on Jack (Howerton), a hilariously cynical Ivy League professor who loses out on his dream job and goes to work as a high school biology teacher where he imposes his unorthodox teaching style and uses the kids to plot out revenge on those who wronged him. Oswalt plays Principal Durbin, Jack’s boss and a timid, petite, nervous mouse of a man who sometimes tries to scold Jack and Jack just hugs him.
A "cynical" man who uses others to "plot out revenge on those who wronged him"? Sounds right up Dennis' alley. Let's hope for the sake of "It's Always Sunny" fans he's able to find time for both roles in the future.