Jimmy Kimmel, the host of the 2 most up-to-date Academy Awards ceremonies and two others earlier than them (2017 and 2018), and John Mulaney, the host of the newest Academy Governors Awards ceremony, have withdrawn themselves from consideration for the job of emceeing the 97th Oscars on March 2, 2025. That, in fact, begs the query: who will the Academy, its Oscars telecast producers (more likely to be the identical workforce that oversaw the well-received 2024 ceremony, minus Kimmel’s spouse) and its broadcasting associate ABC land for the gig — if anybody? (They went and not using a host in 2019, 2020 and 2021.)

The Academy and ABC, being risk-averse, will typically re-approach individuals who have hosted earlier than, however most who hosted lately are by no means going to be invited again. Neglect about James Franco and Anne Hathaway, who hosted collectively in 2011, and Neil Patrick Harris, who had the job in 2015 — all of them bombed. Many discovered the 2013 host, Seth MacFarlane, too undignified (see: his “We Noticed Your Boobs” track). And the present helmed by Regina Corridor, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes was typically thought to be unspectacular.

Ellen DeGeneres was nicely obtained when she hosted in 2007 and 2014, however her public picture has since taken a beating — even she refers to herself as having been “kicked out of present enterprise.” Alec Baldwin, who co-hosted in 2010, grew to become politically polarizing by mocking Donald Trump on Saturday Night time Stay, after which was caught up within the Rust tragedy. And Billy Crystal, who hosted 9 occasions between 1990 and 2012, and Whoopi Goldberg, who hosted in 1999 and 2002, at the moment are 76 and 68, respectively, and wouldn’t assist the Academy and ABC of their efforts to draw youthful viewers to the telecast.

4 previous hosts, nevertheless, might stay viable.

At 78, comedy legend Steve Martin — who hosted in 2001, 2003 and, with Baldwin, 2010 — is now too previous to be focused by the Academy as a solo host. But when the Academy and ABC may persuade his longtime comedy associate Martin Brief, 74, and their 32-year-old Solely Murders within the Constructing co-star Selena Gomez, a millennial and Gen-Z darling, to host collectively, that might be an enormous coup. (Two issues price noting: ABC and Solely Murders streamer Hulu share a dad or mum firm in Disney; and Gomez is a star of one among this 12 months’s high Oscar contenders, Emilia Pérez.)

Jon Stewart, who hosted in 2006 and 2008, will surely be a “get,” and he in all probability has extra time on his arms than he has had at another level in a few years, provided that he now solely hosts The Day by day Present one evening per week. That stated, he’s politically outspoken, which can give the Academy and ABC pause as they make each effort to maintain politics out of the Oscars ceremony, having seen simple proof in monitoring knowledge that it impacts viewership.

Chris Rock, who hosted in 2005 and 2016, is as standard as ever, and it will be an enormous deal to get him to return to the Oscars for the primary time since he was shockingly slapped by Will Smith whereas presenting an award in 2022. That stated, when he beforehand hosted the present he offended lots of people with a skit that includes Asian youngsters, for which the Academy — however not Rock — in the end felt compelled to apologize. I believe that many, together with Janet Yang, the Academy’s first president of Asian descent, may need to go in one other path.

Then, there’s Hugh Jackman, who hosted the tremendously acclaimed 2009 ceremony — he sang, he danced and he even obtained Beyoncé to carry out with him — and who occurs to be one of many two stars of the largest blockbuster of this 12 months, Deadpool & Wolverine. Heck, I may even see Wolverine (Jackman) enlisting Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds, Jackman’s shut buddy) to share the gig with him.

My sense is that the Academy doesn’t really feel that it wants a comic to function host, only a acquainted face — or two — who’re well-liked, seen as cheerleaders of the trade and will help to maneuver issues alongside. That would appear to bode nicely for Jackman, who just about everybody agrees is a superb (some would say the best!) showman, as was additionally evident when he hosted the Tony Awards in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2014.

Different choices alongside these traces embrace Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who has by no means shied away from the limelight; Glen Powell, the breakthrough star of the 12 months and somebody who will surely draw younger individuals to the telecast; John Legend, presumably together with his spouse Chrissy Teigen; Emily Blunt, presumably together with her The Fall Man co-star Ryan Gosling (they have been nice collectively as co-presenters on the ceremony earlier this 12 months); and Tom Hanks, who has served on the Academy’s board of governors, stays very concerned with its museum and would in all probability assist it out if it actually finds itself in a bind.

If the Academy and ABC do find yourself sticking with a comic, they might go to former late evening host and present podcaster and journey present host Conan O’Brien, who looks like a reasonably unobjectionable selection; Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig, separate or collectively, who have been successful once they co-presented on the 2020 present; Chelsea Handler, who has honed her internet hosting expertise whereas emceeing the lower-stakes Critics Alternative Awards in 2023 and 2024; Ali Wong and/or Invoice Hader, two halves of a really humorous couple; or Tiffany Haddish, though she has change into a bit controversial.

I’d not anticipate ABC to log off on anybody who competes within the late evening area with Kimmel (that guidelines out NBC’s Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, CBS’s Stephen Colbert, and HBO’s John Oliver and Invoice Maher) or actually anybody from a rival community (together with NBC’s Michael Che or Colin Jost, the latter of whom hosted the White Home Correspondents Affiliation dinner in April).

Trevor Noah is now out of the late evening recreation and would in all probability do an exquisite job, however he has change into the Grammys’ go-to man (he’s anchored their final 4 telecasts), so it appears unlikely he’d be requested to additionally tackle one other of the EGOT-level award reveals.

As a lot as followers may prefer to see what Ricky Gervais and Dave Chappelle would do as host, the Academy and ABC would nearly actually keep away from them just like the plague, given how anarchic and unpredictable they each are.

Lastly, until they’ve had a significant change of coronary heart, you may depend out a handful of high-profile of us who may seem to be good internet hosting candidates, however who’ve been requested — in a number of circumstances by me — and explicitly acknowledged that, for one motive or one other, they may by no means take the job: Justin Timberlake, Melissa McCarthy, Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, John Krasinski, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.

A possible wild card: Kevin Hart, one of the vital standard comedians and film stars within the recreation immediately, who as soon as stated that it was his dream to host the Oscars and was all set to take action on the 2019 ceremony earlier than withdrawing after previous tweets of his sparked controversy. Hart, who has expressed remorse about these tweets and stays a fan favourite, stated in January that he would by no means host the Oscars or any awards present, describing them as “very chilly” and never “comedy-friendly environments.” However in Might, he hosted Netflix’s roast of Tom Brady, which isn’t a very totally different type of project, and it proved a large hit on the service and went on to be nominated for an Emmy. So maybe Hart — who one other previous Oscars host, David Letterman (1995), instructed me could be “a genius selection” — will rethink!