Grey’s Anatomy Has Its Own Viral Coffee Cup Moment Like GOT, Only This One May Relate To A Big Character Return

Justin Chambers in Grey's Anatomy Season 10
(Image credit: ABC)

There are long-running TV shows, and then there’s Grey’s Anatomy. The beloved medical drama is currently in the midst of its whopping 19th Season on the air, which will also seemingly be Ellen Pompeo’s final run as Meredith Grey. Fans are gearing up for this transition, although some are hoping that another beloved OG might be returning. And here’s why Karev actor Justin Chambers’ new picture has fans thinking he might be the next big Grey’s return. Taking a note from Game of Thrones, we've got a very different viral coffee cup moment. 

Justin Chambers is an OG Grey’s Anatomy actor (although he was CGI’d into the pilot), and stayed longer than most of his original co-workers. Chambers departed as Alex Karev back in Season 16, getting his happy ending with Izzie in the process. But he recently posted about Grey’s on Instagram, leading fans to wonder if he might be scrubbing back in at Grey Sloan Memorial. Check out the image for yourself below:

Well, I’m definitely intrigued. While Justin Chambers might be simply getting a kick out of a Grey’s Anatomy coffee sleeve, one has to wonder where he is, and how he got this swag. Is he back on the set of the medical dama, or is he perhaps working on another project in the same studio lot? Only time will tell, but fans are definitely taking notice.

While this is no guarantee that Karev will be back on our screens, Justin Chambers’ post is notable because he’s not actually all that active on Instagram. Despite his 2.1 million followers, he’s only got 10 posts on his page. And so when he posted and it was Grey’s Anatomy related, people wondered if the beloved pediatric surgeon might be coming back. 

Indeed, the comments section is filled with Grey’s fans who are wondering if Justin Chambers’ latest post was a hint that he was returning to his signature role. He’s been keeping busy since leaving the long-running series, notably playing Marlo Brando in The Offer. But with the show losing its title character in Ellen Pompeo, perhaps ABC reached out to alum like Chambers to make an appearance.

Season 19 has already included appearances by a few former series regulars from Grey’s Anatomy. Kate Walsh returned as Addison Montgomery, while Jesse Williams and Greg Germann showed up as Jackson Avery and Tom Koracick respectively. Fans have also been debating which of McDreamy’s sisters is Adams’ mother, and presumably one of them will show up whenever this mystery is solved. We’ll just have to wait and see if Karev ends up appearing.

It should be fascinating to see if/how Grey’s Anatomy manages to function without Ellen Pompeo’s title character. There are a number of big questions, including who will take over as the show’s main narrator. Meredith has been in less and less scenes over the last few years, but it’s still hard to imagine the show without the dark and twisty protagonist. 

Grey’s Anatomy will return to ABC on February 23rd. In the meantime, check out the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.