His role on “The Office” was initially envisioned as a short-term guest arc, but Will Ferrell is now teasing (perhaps joking, of course) he might join the show full-time.
Set to appear as the replacement for Steve Carell’s Michael Scott, who will be departing Dunder Mifflin Sabre at the end of April, Ferrell told Entertainment Weekly that his guest spot has been turned into a regular role on the show.
“[It became] a regular, full-time gig,” says Ferrell of the part, which originated as a one-episode favor for his friend Carell and then turned into a multi-episode season seven arc. Various insiders, close to both EW and the show, said that Ferrell has not been tapped as the permanent replacement for Steve Carell. “Will was likely joking, but time will tell,” says one source.
At the same time, another source says that Ferrell was clearing his schedule to accommodate the show’s eighth season, which implies there is at least a chance he will remain at the helm of the show’s Scranton office. The story also brings attention to a rumor that multiple endings were scripted for the season finale, providing alternative options regarding the future of Ferrell’s character.
As for the character, the “SNL” alum tells EW, “My character’s name is Deangelo Vickers, he loves the American Southwest, and he’s just kind of in his own way going to step into Michael Scott’s shoes and try to fill them.”