Showrunners Explain Why Oscar Nuñez Is the Only ‘The Office’ Star Returning for the Spinoff

Oscar Nuñez is returning to the world of mockumentary comedy as he reprises his role as Oscar Martínez in the upcoming series The Paper.

The new show introduces a fresh cast including Domhnall Gleeson, Sabrina Impacciatore, Chelsea Frei, Melvin Gregg, and Ramona Young. The series also keeps the same fictional documentary crew from The Office, now following a new story about the struggles of a historic newspaper in Toledo, Ohio.

At the Los Angeles premiere, The Paper creators Greg Daniels and Michael Koman explained why Nuñez was chosen to connect the two series.

Daniels told The Hollywood Reporter, “He’s fabulous, he’s hilarious. Also if you look at the finale of The Office, the characters have a lot of wrap up and they were mostly going in different directions, leaving Dunder Mifflin; Oscar was kind of the same as he was in the beginning when he was still there, so it made sense.”

Koman added, “Oscar’s just really funny and I love him, and I thought he works really well because he blends in to almost any ensemble. He makes the show funnier. And after The Office, his story was a little more open-ended. So it made sense to bring him back because it felt like there was more story there.”

While Nuñez returns, most of the original The Office cast will not appear on the show. Daniels explained, “Most of the cast, their stories had closure and I don’t think they really want to open them up again just to guest on another show. It was very important for me to create a show that would stand on its own and make its own name for itself and not need guest stars from the old show every week to get [people to] tune in.”

Nuñez described his return as a “slow process” that required multiple conversations with Daniels. He joked about his former co-stars’ reactions: “They’re doing OK, no one’s starving. I think they’re happy for me.”

Several past Office actors attended the premiere, including Ellie Kemper, Paul Lieberstein, Creed Bratton, and Kate Flannery. Kemper, who is married to Koman, admitted she was initially a little jealous of Nuñez’s return.

“I didn’t want to speak to him ever again. I was like ‘Why does he get to share in a joyous second iteration?’” But after watching the first episode, she said, “He’s just fantastic.”

The Paper is set to premiere on Peacock on September 4, 2025. The series follows the Toledo Truth-Teller, a declining newspaper working to reinvent itself with volunteer reporters. Nuñez’s character is the only returning figure from The Office, serving as a bridge between the original show and this new story.

Hot off the press 🤌#ThePaper arrives September 4 on Peacock. pic.twitter.com/l2Gb9MjNKb

— Peacock (@peacock) August 7, 2025

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