‘I Want To Land This Plane.’ Someone Asked Stephen Colbert What’s Next After His Late Show Exit, And I Did Not Expect His Answer

The Late Show’s cancellation looms large over the late-night talk show space and arguably the entertainment industry as a whole. As it stands, the Stephen Colbert-fronted show is set to finish with a near 11-year run on CBS this coming May. There are plenty of questions to consider, with some of those queries involving Colbert’s career moving forward. Colbert – who was among the winners at the 2025 Emmys last weekend – was actually just asked about his plans. And I honestly wasn’t expecting the response he ultimately gave.

Stephen Colbert Responds To A Question About His Post-Late Show Ambitions

At the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, The Late Show won Outstanding Variety Talk Series, and Colbert accepted the honor – alongside his team – by giving an impassioned speech. The veteran talk show host later spoke to various news outlets, including People, in the press room following his big win. It was there that Colbert received the question about what’s next for him after his show ends. The media personality, however, would only stress his eagerness to get back to his current place of employment:

Stephen Colbert hasn’t poked fun at his career prospects, and he even showed off his resume while appearing on stage at the Emmys. However, I’m still a bit surprised that he didn’t give journalists even a slight indication as to what he wants to do once his talk show comes to an end. Speaking on the conclusion of the series, Colbert spoke to that inevitability as well:

If anything, the Emmy winner’s comments speak to his continued commitment to his colleagues and the work they still have to do, which is very sweet. His mention of wanting to “land this plane” is particularly cool, and it’s something I won’t forget as time goes on.

Why Did The Late Show Get Canceled And How Have People Responded?

CBS announced this past July that The Late Show was canceled and would end in 2026, attributing the decision to financial reasons. Later on, reports of a less-than-positive fiscal picture began to surface, with sources claiming that the series has been losing the Eye Network millions of dollars over the last several years. Despite the rationale shared by big brass, there are some people of the belief that other variables played into the cancellation.

Some analysts have theorized about ulterior motives for the cancellation due to the fact that it came on the heels of CBS’ parent company, Paramount Global, settling a $16 million lawsuit with U.S. President Donald Trump. Stephen Colbert called out his employers on air for that legal move as well. At the same time, pundits say the suit was the last hurdle standing in the way of Paramount receiving FCC approval for its merger with Skydance (which has since been approved and finalized).

After The Late Show’s cancellation was announced, celebrities like Bowen Yang and Jimmy KImmel have spoken out, with other notable personalities speaking out as well. The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart even went on a heated rant on air about the challenges that talk show hosts deal with on a nightly basis work-wise. All in all, Colbert and co. have apparently had a significant amount of support during this time.

That level of support is what makes me believe that Stephen Colbert won’t be out of a job for too long after The Late Show wraps up. At present, Colbert does have a new TV gig, thanks to a guest spot on Elsbeth. Even Bob Odenkirk isn’t concerned about Colbert’s career, as he’s confident that the host will find another way to reach the masses. We’ll have to wait and see but, until then, Colbert seems focused on the task at hand. Check out his show, which airs weekly Monday-Friday at 11:35 p.m. ET on CBS amid the 2025 TV schedule.