In spite of all the conflicting reports, we know in our heart of hearts that 'The Office' would never dream of concluding its nine-season run on May 16 without somehow including Steve Carell's Michael Scott, without whom the series would never have thrived. The latest report almost definitely confirms that Carell will pop up in the coming finale, though official sources continually deny. Get the real truth about Michael Scott's return inside!

'The Office' executive producers, cast and crew will likely deny Steve Carell's return appearance until the final frame of 'The Office's' May 16 series finale, but we're strongly inclined to think the character will be present in some form. So too does TVLine, who claims to have officially confirmed via inside sources that Carell will return in a manner that doesn't overshadow the endings of his former castmates.

It remains unclear exactly how Michael Scott will make his brief appearance, but TVLine points out that showrunner Greg Daniels' recent words don't explicitly deny Carell's return: “I think Steve felt, and I agree, that the ‘Goodbye, Michael’ episode was his goodbye and he didn’t want to overshadow the ending that all the other characters deserved.” Tricky language, no?

Steve Carell or no, ‘The Office’ series finale will at least have an impressive guest roster including Mindy Kaling, B.J. Novak, Rachael Harris, Dakota Johnson, Joan Cusack, Ed Begley Jr., Malcolm Barrett, Matt Jones, Andy Buckey, Mike Schur and Bobby Ray Shafer. Previous descriptions of the episode hinted that “Finale” would take place after the airing of the show’s titular documentary, somewhat similar to the UK version’s final episodes.

What say you? Will TVLine's prove the final word on Steve Carell's appearance in 'The Office' finale? How would you most like to see the series end on May 16?

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