Is It's Always Sunny Really Losing Dennis?

TV shows love to kill off major characters. Its a big trend in what has been called the golden age of television. But when it comes toIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, one of the longest running live-action sitcoms in history, everyone though Danny Devito’s Frank would be the first to go. That might not be the case. As it seems Dennis' days may be nummbers. Though, perhaps, they will let him live to return another day.

Last week, we reported thatIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphiastar, co-creator and producerGlenn Howertonhad signed on to star alongsidePatton Oswaltin a new untitled NBC comedy series that was previously entitledAP Bio. At the time, it wasn’t clear if the star was leaving the FX series he helped create, but given the surprising events of the Season 12 finale, which aired just a day before the news ofGlenn Howerton’s casting broke, many wondered if both the events of the finale and this casting, means thatGlenn Howerton, who plays Dennis on the hit comedy series, is leaving the show. It turns out that the actor/writer/producer isn’t quite sure what is happening quite yet. But his departure is possible. If you haven’t watched the Season 12 finale ofIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, there will be SPOILERS below, so read on at your own risk.

TheAlways Sunny Season 12finale featured a number of surprising revelations, including Charlie (Charlie Day) finally getting to sleep with the Waitress (Mary Elizabeth Ellis), to give her the baby she won’t be able to have otherwise. The episode also featuredGlenn Howerton’s Dennis being confronted by the son he fathered, following the events of the Season 10 episode “The Gang Beats Boggs,” and his mother, with the finale ending on a poignant note. Dennis has an epiphany about his awful ways and decides to leave town, declaring, “I can’t do any of this s–t anymore.” A day after the finale aired, but before the news ofGlenn Howerton’s pilot casting was announced,Uproxxspoke withGlenn Howerton, asking the actor if he is actually done with the series. Here’s what he had to say below.

“So… it’s a little complicated. I may seem a little bit evasive here, and I don’t mean to. It’s not entirely certain whether I am or am not. I might be. I might be, but I might not be. That really is the truth. Just to be clear, to dispel any potential weirdness, it has nothing to do with my relationship to anyone on the show or Rob or Charlie or anyone like that. It’s partially a creative and personal decision. We may be taking an extended hiatus between season 12 and season 13. So I’m certainly staying open to the possibility of doing more, but there is a possibility that I will not.”

The show has already beenrenewed for two more seasons, and the interviewer even admitted that he only askedGlenn Howertonif he was leaving the show out of a sense of “journalistic thoroughness,” and that he did not expect him to actually be leaving the show. The original report aboutGlenn Howerton’s casting mentioned how this was much different that the situation of anotherAlways Sunnycast member,Kaitlin Olson, whose hit new Fox seriesThe Mickhas already been picked up for a second season. Since FX and Fox are part of the same corporate entity, the actress can pull double-duty on both shows, but it could be a much more complicated situation if NBC picks upGlenn Howerton’s new series. The site speculates that this extended hiatus may help create a gap inGlenn Howerton’s schedule that would enable him to shoot bothAlways Sunnyand this untitled comedy, if it’s given a series order.

Glenn Howerton’s interview is also the first we’ve heard of an “extended hiatus” between Season 12 and Season 13 ofAlways Sunny, and it isn’t clear how long this hiatus could last. The rest of the Paddy’s Pub gang has been keeping plenty busy as well, withCharlie Daystarring on the big screen withIce CubinFist Fight, whileRob McElhenny, whose character Mac also came out as a homosexual in Season 12, has also signed on to make his feature directorial debut with theMinecraftmovie. There have also been reports thatDanny DeVitois quitting the show. FX hasn’t announced when Season 13 ofIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphiawill air, but it seems that won’t be happening for quite some time.