Image Credit: Getty Images for FLC
Stephen Colbert inadvertently became a symbolic victim for late-night television when *The Late Show* was discontinued in July 2025. While fellow comedians and colleagues bid him a fitting farewell, many voiced disapproval of CBS for dismantling the iconic program. So, what is Stephen occupied with now that his late-night show has concluded?
Discover below what new endeavor Stephen has planned following *The Late Show*.
Why Was The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Canceled?
CBS, under the ownership of Paramount Skydance, asserted that the discontinuation of *The Late Show* was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night” and “not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”
However, individuals within the industry and the viewing public hold a different perspective.
Mere weeks before *The Late Show*’s termination, CBS reached a settlement with Donald Trump for $16 million after the Republican president initiated legal action against the network, alleging manipulation of a *60 Minutes* interview with Kamala Harris.
Despite Stephen’s continued polite demeanor towards CBS executives, he shared his perspective on the situation between CBS and the former president with *The Hollywood Reporter*.
“A great many people are convinced there was an alternative motive [behind my show’s ending]. And, as I articulated with the utmost restraint possible, there is a valid basis for that belief – the network had already demonstrated such behavior by paying that $16 million settlement [to the Trump administration],” Stephen elaborated. “My show’s cancellation further solidified a perception that CBS readily capitulates, a reputation they themselves cultivated, especially since their own legal counsel found no grounds for the payment, yet they proceeded and offered no justification for their change of stance. Subsequently, they secured their broadcast license.”
What Is Stephen Colbert Doing Next?
Stephen had already secured a new engagement prior to his show’s discontinuation. Approximately a year before CBS ended his late-night program, he committed to co-authoring the script for *The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past*. The comedian, a noted enthusiast of LOTR, will collaborate on the screenplay with his son, Peter McGee, and the series’ screenwriter, Philippa Boyens.
Producer Peter Jackson disclosed Stephen’s involvement in the project via a social media video released weeks before *The Late Show*’s final broadcast.
“It took me several years to muster the courage to make that call, but about two years ago, I did,” Stephen shared. “You found it compelling enough to discuss with me, and since then, the two of us, along with the exceptionally talented Philippa Boyens, have been dedicated to developing this narrative.”
*Shadow of the Past* is slated for release following the subsequent installment, *The Hunt of Gollum*, which is scheduled to premiere in cinemas next year.
Not long after *The Late Show* concluded, Stephen made a return to the late-night television scene with an appearance on a local Michigan station.
Was Stephen Colbert Replaced?
No. CBS opted to cease *The Late Show* entirely, without appointing a successor to Stephen as its host. Nevertheless, the network did extend an offer to another personality for Stephen’s late-night time slot.
Comedian and entrepreneur Byron Allen‘s program, *Comics Unleashed*, will now occupy the timeslot previously held by *The Late Show*.