Actor Adrian Grenier believes there may be a clear reason he was not invited to return for the upcoming sequel to "The Devil Wears Prada."

In a recent interview, the 49-year-old star said fan criticism of his character, Nate Cooper, might explain why he "didn't get the call" to join The Devil Wears Prada 2.

The new film, scheduled to hit theaters in May, will bring back several familiar faces.

Anne Hathaway is set to reprise her role as aspiring journalist Andrea "Andy" Sachs, while Meryl Streep will once again play demanding fashion editor Miranda Priestly.

Other returning cast members include Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci. Grenier, however, will not appear in the sequel.

According to THR, despite the disappointment, Grenier said he still supports the project. "We're all fans of the movie, whether or not we're in it," he shared.

"Obviously, it was a disappointment that I didn't get the call to be in the sequel, but I also understand there's some backlash with Nate, the character, so that might have something to do with it."

In the original film, Nate Cooper was Andy's boyfriend while she worked as an assistant for Miranda Priestly at Runway magazine.

As Andy became more focused on her demanding job, her relationship with Nate began to suffer.

Over the years, many viewers criticized Nate on social media, calling him unsupportive and self-centered for not encouraging Andy's career.

Adrian Grenier Reflects on Fan Backlash

Grenier admitted that the strong reaction from fans surprised him at first. In a 2021 interview, he said he did not fully understand the deeper meaning of the character until people online began sharing their opinions.

"I didn't see some of the subtleties and the nuance of this character until the wisdom of the masses came online," he said at the time.

Looking back now, the actor says he better understands why audiences felt that way.

Grenier explained that he may have been "as immature as Nate" when the film was first made, which made it harder for him to see the character's flaws, PageSix reported.

After reflecting on the criticism, he acknowledged there was "truth in that perspective."

In the original movie's ending, Andy and Nate break up but reconnect later after she leaves her stressful job to focus on becoming a journalist. Nate reveals he plans to move to Chicago for a new chef position.

Still, Grenier is not convinced that the character's storyline alone explains his absence from the sequel. "Either way, it's a disappointment," he said. However, he added with a smile that the situation might open the door for something new.

"It leaves room for a beautiful spinoff in which Nate has his own film," Grenier joked, suggesting the character's story might not be finished just yet.