Ryan Gosling has barely appeared in a new promo for Saturday Night Live and the internet already thinks it knows what's coming next.

After the show released a teaser ahead of Gosling's upcoming hosting gig, fans immediately began speculating that the actor might revive one of the most iconic sketches of modern SNL: "Papyrus." And yes, that would mean Papyrus 3.

The timing has only fueled the theory. Gosling is returning to host the NBC comedy institution as part of the promotional blitz for his upcoming sci-fi film Project Hail Mary, which hits theaters on March 20 and follows a science teacher who wakes up alone on a spaceship tasked with saving humanity.

The movie is directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and is based on the bestselling novel by Andy Weir. The film has already generated major buzz, including a trailer that racked up hundreds of millions of views worldwide, showing how much anticipation surrounds the space adventure.

But if there is one thing audiences expect when Gosling hosts SNL, it is chaos. And possibly a meltdown about fonts.

The sketch that turned a font into comedy history

The original "Papyrus" sketch aired in 2017 when Gosling first hosted the show. In it, he played a tortured graphic designer who spirals into obsession after realizing that the logo for Avatar uses the notoriously overused Papyrus font.

The bit quickly became a cult favorite, especially among designers who had long joked about the font's reputation as a lazy design choice. The sketch was inspired by a tweet from SNL writer Julio Torres complaining that one of the most expensive movies ever made used the typeface.

The premise was brilliantly simple. Gosling's character cannot sleep, cannot relax, and cannot stop thinking about one thing: that the blockbuster directed by James Cameron used a font anyone can download on their computer.

Years later the show revisited the character in "Papyrus II," with Gosling's ponytailed font detective discovering that the sequel logo for Avatar: The Way of Water still appeared to rely on the same typeface, sending him back into a spiral.

Now fans think the story might continue.

Fourth time hosting... or fifth?

The new promo itself is already fueling jokes. In the clip, Gosling celebrates as if he is about to enter the elite Five-Timers Club, even though the upcoming episode will actually mark his fourth time hosting the show.

That kind of self-aware absurdity is exactly the tone that made "Papyrus" work in the first place.

And because SNL often blends film promotion with viral sketches, many viewers believe the show could easily turn Gosling's new space movie into a comedic setup. After all, when you are promoting a film about saving Earth, what is one more existential crisis about typography?

The Eva Mendes connection fans still remember

There is also another reason fans are excited about Gosling's return: the possibility of more comedy tied to his family.

The actor has previously joked about his longtime partner, Eva Mendes, during promotional appearances for the movie, even giving her a playful shoutout in a parody Jeopardy! video promoting the film. He also made a sketch inspired on his father in law, so naturally some fans are wondering if SNL cast member Marcello Hernández might get involved in a sketch referencing Gosling's Cuban extended family. Hernández, whose heritage is Cuban and Dominican, went viral during Gosling's last hosting stint thanks to a hilarious Latino-themed sketch that leaned into Miami-style humor.

Could a future sketch feature Gosling trying to impress his in-laws again? Or perhaps a Cuban cousin explaining typography to the man who still cannot get over Papyrus?

Stranger things have happened on Studio 8H.

From fonts to saving humanity

Regardless of whether Papyrus 3 actually happens, Gosling's return to SNL arrives at the perfect moment for his latest project.

In Project Hail Mary, the actor plays Ryland Grace, a reluctant astronaut sent on a desperate mission to stop a cosmic catastrophe threatening Earth. The film combines humor, science fiction and emotional storytelling, a tone that Gosling has been highlighting during promotional interviews.

In other words, the actor may be preparing to save humanity on the big screen.

But if SNL fans get their wish, he will first have to confront the most terrifying threat of all.

Bad typography.

Tags
Ryan gosling, Snl