When it came time for his triumphant return to The Office, Steve Carell was actually uncertain about doing it. The Office might have completed its run in 2013, but it still ranks among the most popular shows today. Airing on NBC for nine seasons, the beloved workplace comedy followed the employees of a fictional paper company. It was based on the UK sitcom of the same name and followed its mockumentary format to great acclaim. Thanks to streaming, it's remained alive and well among audiences, though it'll be switching homes in a few months when it moves from Netflix to Peacock.

The Office is home to a plethora of colorful characters, but the show's true lead will always be Carell's Michael Scott. For the bulk of the show, Michael served as Dunder Mifflin's regional manager, though some might be hard pressed to pinpoint exactly why he's in charge. Michael is best known for his inappropriate humor and idiotic antics, both of which ultimately stem from a good heart. Carell exited The Office after the seventh season, but he made a reappearance in the series finale at Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and Angela's (Angela Kinsey) wedding.

Related: The Office: What Happened To Michael Scott After Season 7

Office fans have been treated to several podcasts about the show courtesy of the stars, such as Brian Baumgartner's An Oral History of The Office. While discussing the series finale, Baumgartner brought Carell and creator Greg Daniels on, and they shed more light on Carell's big return. According to Daniels, Carell was hesitant to return for the finale because he didn't want it to become all about him. "Like he was like, 'Everybody who put in these other two years, this is the end of the show. This is the end of all of their stories. I left, this isn’t all about me,'" Daniels said. However, what helped ease Carell's concerns were the circumstances for Michael's appearance: Dwight's wedding. Carell added:

Because I had told Greg, I just don’t think it’s a good idea because I felt like Michael’s story had definitely ended. And I was reticent about coming back because you guys had two more, really valuable seasons and that was everyone else’s ending. Michael had already had his, so I just didn’t want to, but at the same time, I felt like I should out of respect for all of you guys and out of my love for everybody to, you know, to acknowledge the, uh, the ending of this thing.

The Office – Michael in the series finale

In the episode, Jim (John Krasinski) is prepared to serve as Dwight's best man (or "bestest mensch"), but he has one final surprise for his enemy-turned-best-friend: He's called in Michael. Throughout The Office, Michael and Dwight had an odd, but very sweet relationship, and it was fitting that Michael would be the one to stand beside him at the wedding. Seeing as Michael had very little do to in the episode, it's safe to say Carell's return didn't overshadow the finale. Instead, it was merely a delightful treat for longtime fans.

The Office will likely always remain one of the most iconic comedies of all time, and even now, more behind the scenes stories are being revealed. Whether it's the fact that the finale cut a Matrix reference or a live bat was used for that cold open, The Office fans are arguably being served with more content now than they were during the show's actual run. It's just a testament to its legacy, which is a pretty remarkable thing.

More: The Office: Why Michael’s Final Scene Was With Pam

Source: An Oral History of The Office