Stephen Colbert Makes Return to Late-Night as Guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live

On the day after The Late Show's victory at the 2026 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Variety Series, Stephen Colbert made his initial return to late-night television since departing last May. He appeared as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live in a three-part interview. During the discussion, Colbert confirmed he was not missing his previous role, stating, "I will say, I have an opportunity to not think about the news every day, and I took it!"

He also shared details about his post-Late Show activities, such as briefly moving to New Zealand while working on his Lord of the Rings film and his reluctance to disclose any information about the project due to a non-disclosure agreement, even to Steven Spielberg. Colbert recounted a humorous incident where he was pulled over by a kind police officer in New Zealand.

The segment also included Colbert shaving his beard, which he had promised to Evie he would do if he won an Emmy. To conclude the appearance, Kimmel revealed that Colbert had given him the Captain America shield he had received from Marvel during his time on The Colbert Report. Colbert explained that he had kept the shield for 20 years after the show's end, choosing to send it to Kimmel to be displayed permanently on his set, stating, "I want to be able to see it when I'm doing the monologue every night."

Kimmel installed the shield on his set, saying, "I'm going to put it right there for all time, or at least however much time we have left!"