Who Should Host the Oscars Next Year? See Our List of Contenders, and Vote for Your Favorite!

For the first time in years, the Oscars are holding an open casting call for a host.

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Playing emcee on Hollywood’s biggest night is a prestigious gig, no doubt, but the Academy is now scrambling to find a replacement after four-time host Jimmy Kimmel reportedly declined to host again next year. (The Academy and broadcast partner ABC also offered comedian John Mulaney the gig, but he declined as well.)

So now that the field is wide open, who should host next year’s Oscars ceremony? Should the Academy go for a comedian to liven things up, or a big-time movie star to draw more eyeballs? Or should they dip into their list of past hosts to see if they can bring back some of that old Tinseltown magic? We here at TVLine have compiled a list of possible Oscars hosts, ranging on the likelihood scale from wishful thinking to pretty darn plausible, actually.

Read on to see some of the names we think could be holding down the fort when the Oscars are handed out on March 2 on ABC — and then vote in our poll to let us know who you think should get the gig. And if there’s a perfect option out there we didn’t mention? Well, that’s what the comments are for.

Chris Rock

Let’s go back to the most recent solo Oscars host who isn’t named Jimmy: Rock hosted the ceremony in 2016, his second time at emcee, and his stint as host was generally well-received. But there’s a big old elephant in the room: Rock was the recipient of The Slap from an angry Will Smith at the 2022 Oscars while presenting, and he actually turned down a chance to host the following year’s ceremony, so we’re thinking he’d probably pass on going back there anytime soon.

Neil Patrick Harris

The Emmy-winning How I Met Your Mother star took the reins in 2015, but his musical number-heavy approach didn’t wow the crowd — and didn’t lead to an offer to return from the Academy, either. He’s probably better off sticking with the Tonys.

Ellen DeGeneres

Yes, she hosted the Oscars twice, most recently in 2014. (Remember that selfie?) And no, she won’t be allowed anywhere near the gig again, after reports surfaced of toxic behavior behind the scenes of her daytime talk show. She’s more likely to go back to American Idol at this point.

Seth MacFarlane

Um… if Ellen is a no, then the Family Guy creator is an all-caps NO. Remember when he hosted in 2013 and sang a song called “We Saw Your Boobs” to Hollywood’s leading ladies? Yeah, they weren’t thrilled. We’re not sure that Seth has been allowed within a hundred yards of the Dolby Theatre since.

Billy Crystal

When in doubt, go with what you know: The unquestioned GOAT of Oscars hosts, with a whopping nine times under his belt, Crystal is still available, you know. (He most recently emceed in 2012.) But we can see how some people might think that his song-and-dance shtick may be a bit outdated these days. Not us, mind you, but some people.

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman

They’re currently starring in one of the year’s biggest blockbusters, Deadpool & Wolverine, and they make a very entertaining duo together. (Jackman even hosted once before, in 2009, along with four times emceeing the Tonys.) It’d also be a nice bit of Disney synergy, with them starring in a Marvel movie and the Oscars airing on ABC.

Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez

Speaking of Disney synergy: Their hit comedy Only Murders in the Building airs on Hulu, and this trio offers a great mix of old-Hollywood prestige and new-Hollywood sizzle. Martin is a three-time Oscars host already, and Gomez would bring in the Instagram crowd in droves. (Think of the outfits alone.)

Nikki Glaser

The stand-up comic is a hot commodity after her buzzy set at Netflix’s roast of Tom Brady. Her material might be a little edgy, though, for the stuffed shirts at the Academy.

Whoopi Goldberg

She’s very familiar with the Oscars stage, having hosted four times, most recently in 2002. She’s also a member of the ABC family, as a co-host on The View. Can she knock off the rust and get back into hosting mode for the first time in two decades?

Jon Stewart

He’s hosted twice before, and he’s back in the spotlight after his return to The Daily Show. He last hosted during the George W. Bush administration, though, and the Academy might feel choosing him would be too political — especially after an already tumultuous election year.

Amy Schumer

She co-hosted alongside Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall in 2022, and her monologue jokes had a nice, sharp zing to them. A decade after she first broke out with Inside Amy Schumer, she might’ve mellowed out to the point where her sense of humor can fit in with the Academy crowd.

Kevin Hart

He’s one of the biggest comedians on the planet, and he has a string of big-screen successes under his belt, too. There’s a big problem, though: The Academy actually had Hart lined up to host the 2019 Oscars… until homophobic tweets from his past resurfaced, forcing him to step down. So maybe they won’t want to go down that road again.

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler

The SNL alums were the gold standard of awards-show hosting when they teamed up at the Golden Globes four times in the past decade or so. Plus, Poehler is a proud member of the Disney family with her role in the animated mega-hit Inside Out 2. We kinda think they should host everything, actually. Dog shows, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade… you name it.

Quinta Brunson

Here’s an intriguing curveball that might just work. She’s an Emmy-winning actor and writer, and she stars in one of ABC’s most popular shows, Abbott Elementary. She’s funny enough to bring the laughs, but gentle enough not to ruffle too many feathers. The more we think about this one, the more we like it.

The Rock

He’s a massive superstar who could bring in a whole new audience of fans who want to smell what the Rock is cooking. He’s a Disney alum, courtesy of Moana. He even appeared at this year’s Oscars as a presenter, which could serve as a dry run for a full hosting gig. He has had a few flops in recent years — Black Adam, anyone? — but maybe that just makes him all the more eager to say yes to a prestigious offer like this.

Tom Cruise

Oh, it’s star power you want? Look no further. The biggest movie star of the past 40 years would certainly give the Oscars a jolt of adrenaline, and his long streak of box-office hits is still intact with Top Gun: Maverick and Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One. Plus, he’s an avowed fan of the cinema, so he would fit right in with the “movies are magic” vibe of the Oscars. Sure, he might say some truly wild stuff on live TV… but that would just make it all the more fun to watch, right?

Vote in our poll, and then hit the comments to play casting director!

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