HBO Max earned much acclaim after debuting the highly publicized reunion specials for both The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Friends, with the latter earning a nomination for the 2021 Emmy Awards. So it only makes sense for TV viewers to want to see other beloved sitcom casts reuniting, and even though CBS' The Big Bang Theory only wrapped up its 12-season run in 2020, its fanbase remains sizable enough to justify a quicker-than-usual regrouping. And while it could feasibly happen at some point in the coming years, former star Kunal Nayyar sounds like he’d be happy to wait quite a long time before it happens.
Kunal Nayyar is currently promoting his newest TV venture, as he stars in the recently debuted Apple TV+ thriller Suspicion alongside Uma Thurman. While it’s not clear just yet how long that particular series will last, Nayyar made it seem in an interview with ComicBook.com like he’ll be content with waiting another couple of decades before returning to the world of The Big Bang Theory’s Raj Koothrappali, saying this when the topic of a reunion came up:
So, when I'm 60 years old, if television still exists. To be honest, that was a really wonderful time of my life and now I'm enjoying other endeavors as well. And if that were to happen, then it's in the universe's hands but currently, I'm just enjoying spending time with them.
While I think we can all agree that Nayyar’s comment about waiting until he’s 60 years old came with a slight sense of hyperbole, it doesn’t really sound like he’s all that enthusiastic about centering the rest of his career around The Big Bang Theory and projects related to that universe. Which is completely understandable, don’t get me wrong.
After twelve years of climbing to the top of TV’s ratings ranks and making a home up there, combined with all of the San Diego Comic-Con appearances and the like, The Big Bang Theory cast is fully aware of how popular the show is, and how much people adore it. But these characters are certainly not the career endgames for any of the actors involved, and I’m sure they can only hear the same thing from fans for so long before it tests the nerves.
As Kunal Nayyar is doing with Suspicion and other projects, the sitcom’s entire principal cast has moved onto other celebrated projects, with many also working behind the scenes as well as delivering on-camera performances. For a few examples, Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik serve as executive producers together on the latter’s Call Me Kat, Kaley Cuoco brought The Flight Attendant to life at HBO Max through her production company, and Melissa Rauch is a big part of why the Night Court revival is happening. Meanwhile, Johnny Galecki is working more on the producer side of things, while Simon Helberg is showing off his talents on the big screen. After sticking with the same characters for so long, changes were needed and welcomed, even if some of those characters still live on through Young Sheldon.
Still, that doesn’t mean a TBBT reunion will never happen. In 2021, Kaley Cuoco spoke positively about the concept, saying she’d be down to take part at whatever point one came together. Hopefully things go well enough for his career that Kunal Nayyar can feel comfortable enough to make a Big Bang Theory special happen in the future. Even if it’s just so he can tell more stories about gross things Johnny Galecki did on the set.
While waiting to see if a Big Bang Theory reunion ever happens, don’t forget you can rewatch the entire 12-season stretch with an HBO Max subscription, and you can also peep out our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see what new and returning shows are popping up soon.
