Jason Segel Not Returning for 'Muppets' Sequel

Jason Segel and The Muppets are parting ways.

The actor revealed the big news to Collider, confirming Disney is doing the sequel without him.

Segel blames the split on his busy schedule, starring in CBS' How I Met Your Mother and working on film projects, but says the decision not to return was amicable.

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"My goal was to bring The Muppets back, and I did that leaving them in very good hands," he said, referring to his co-writer, Nicholas Stoller, and director James Bobin. "I did what I set out to do, and now I want to pursue more human-related projects." Segel added that while he may return in some capacity "here and there" in the future, he's ready for a "little puppet break." 

Segel co-wrote The Muppets, which went on to gross over $88 million, and starred in last year's film.

While the news may come as a surprise to some fans, Segel has said in the past that he simply wanted to bring the lovable creatures back to the big screen. And, the nostalgic actor said, "I just wanted to see The Muppets again the way I remembered them."