Hasan Minhaj Is The Leading Candidate To Take Over The Daily Show

The months-long hunt for a new host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" may have just come to an end ... and it involves a very familiar face.

When Trevor Noah first departed the popular late night show back in December of last year after seven long years with the program, viewers inevitably turned their attention to the question of who could possibly replace the fan-favorite comedian. To say that he left behind incredibly large shoes to fill hardly does it justice, especially considering that Noah himself replaced none other than Jon Stewart, but the network at least seemed well aware of this fact. Before deciding on a permanent replacement, Comedy Central soon came back from hiatus by resorting to a rotating panel of guest hosts, with a particular emphasis on allowing several of the show's in-house correspondents to get their time in the spotlight.

Well, the search might well be over as Variety reports that actor, writer, comedian, and political commentator Hasan Minhaj is now considered the frontrunner to take over "The Daily Show." Minhaj, of course, previously starred on the show between 2014 and 2018 before his well-publicized exit to lead his own Netflix series, "Patriot Act." Minhaj has been kept extraordinarily busy in the years since, balancing writing and starring in more politically-minded shows with his ongoing acting career with appearances in movies like "The Spy Who Dumped Me," the recent "No Hard Feelings," and even a hilarious cameo in "Haunted Mansion." Now, it appears that he could be gaining steam to take over "The Daily Show" himself ... although nothing has been written in ink just yet. Read on for all the details.

In the months since Trevor Noah's exit from "The Daily Show," everyone from all corners has thrown in their own picks for who should take over as host on the late night show — including us here at /Film, when BJ Colangelo made her pitch for Roy Wood, Jr. But in a development that one can imagine will be well-received by most, it seems increasingly likely that Hasan Minhaj will step up and take the big job.

Variety reports that Comedy Central had hoped to fill the vacancy by May of this year, but the writer's strike — officially enacted by the WGA when the AMPTP producers guild refused to bargain for a new contract in good faith — ultimately added further complications to such plans. "The Daily Show" hasn't aired any episodes in the time since the strike began, not even repeats, so viewers will have to wait until a new deal is reached before any new episodes with the new host come to fruition. The report also cautions that there is no guarantee that Minhaj will actually be chosen, especially in light of the fact that "a deal is not believed to have been finalized." But it remains clear that he's now considered among the finalists for the position, with his previous experience on the show almost certainly working in his favor.

Should an announcement follow in the weeks or months ahead, headlines about Minhaj hosting "The Daily Show" should lead to a renewed interest in the late night show after the lengthy hiatus during the strike.