If you’re a millennial (or an older Gen Zer), you’re probably psyched for the upcoming reboot of iCarly. But don’t expect things to pick up exactly where they left off. It’s been almost a decade since the tween sitcom came to a close, and just like in real life, people grow and change. This means a few cast members—like Noah Munck—won’t be returning to our screens. Munck, who played the eccentric (and often shirtless) Gibby Gibson on the original series, was beloved for providing comic relief. So why is Gibby from iCarly now missing from the 2021 version? We’re sorting through the rumors about his absence. Find out what Munck has to say about his time on the hit show, and get more details on the return of iCarly.
Gibby From ‘iCarly’ Is Actor Noah Munck
Which Nickelodeon fan in the late 2000s could forget the character Gibby Gibson on iCarly? The chubby-cheeked, spiky-haired goofball was portrayed by actor Noah Munck.
Munck, now 25 (how time flies!), was born in Mission Viejo, California, and is the oldest of five children. His father Greg is an Evangelical pastor in Orange County and his mother Kymbry is a homemaker.
Munck worked regularly as a child actor. He got his start at age 10 in a Volkswagen ad. Campaigns for Kellogg’s and Got Milk? followed.
But Nickelodeon is where he shined. On iCarly, he was bumped up from recurring role to series regular. He reprised the role in a 2014 episode of the spinoff, Sam & Cat. At one point, Munck even shot a pilot for his own iCarly spin-off, Gibby, but the network ultimately passed on green-lighting an entire series.
On the big screen, he could be seen alongside Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake in 2011’s Bad Teacher. Munck also had a voice role on the animated Disney show Phineas and Ferb and popped up in an episode of Wizards of Waverly Place.
Overall, viewers loved Gibby. In 2011, Munck was nominated for a Kid’s Choice Award for Favorite TV sidekick. Even ten years later, they still stan him. “This show would have sucked from the beginning of season 4 if Gibby didn’t become a main character and carried it,” a fan recently commented on Gibby’s Fandom page.
‘iCarly’ Is Getting A Reboot On Paramount+
On June 1, Paramount+ released the trailer for their upcoming iCarly reboot. Footage reveals original characters Carly, Freddie, and Spencer all grown up. There are also two new additions to the cast: Laci Mosley as Harper, Carly’s roommate, and Jaidyn Triplett as Millicent, “Freddie’s snarky and social media-savvy stepdaughter.” Check out a preview of the series, which debuts on June 17, below:
Earlier this week, Miranda Cosgrove told E! News that the reboot isn’t meant for a teen audience. The purpose of the series is to reconnect with fans who grew up with the fictional influencer.
“I’d say the biggest hesitation is just a lot of people associate the show with their childhoods and our main goal and what we really set out to do is make all the original fans happy, like the people that really loved the show and they were little,” Cosgrove said. “Which is why we wanted to make the show a little more mature this time around and not for kids—not just for kids—because we really made it with all of the OG fans in mind.”
Why Gibby Won’t Be On The ‘iCarly’ Reboot
One character notably absent from the trailer is Gibby. So what happened? When a fan tweeted co-showrunner Jay Kogen about Munck’s whereabouts, he simply replied, “We’ve approached him.“
One theory is that Munck simply wasn’t interested. In 2017, he appeared on The OYC Podcast and spoke about his child acting days. The performer said he had “no clue” about a potential reboot at the time; he added that while he “appreciated” his time on iCarly, he had a “weird relationship” with his role on the series. He explained that being the butt of jokes on the series spilled over into his real life and that being the “punching bag”—even if it was fictional—left a bad taste in his mouth.
“Maybe one day I’ll have a better relationship with it, and who knows, I’ll come back,” said Munck.
In a 2014 interview with Biola University’s student publication, he talked about his desire to move on from something different from iCarly. “I would love to show people that I can do something, act serious, in a way that’s dramatic,” the actor said.
If he didn’t return because of his ambivalence, he wouldn’t be the only one. Jennette McCurdy, who played Carly’s best friend Sam on the original series, also turned down an offer to reprise her role. Earlier this year, she confessed on her podcast Empty Inside that she’s mortified by her child acting days.
“My experience with acting is, I’m so ashamed of the parts I’ve done in the past,” McCurdy said. “I resent my career in a lot of ways. I feel so unfulfilled by the roles that I played and felt like it was the most cheesy, embarrassing.”
The former actor says she only worked to feed her family. Since her mother’s death, she’s walked away from the profession and feels liberated by the decision.
“Once I started to get the nerves under control was when I started to actually get some traction,” she continued. “But I ultimately quit after my mom passed away because with her death kind of died a lot of her ideas for my life, and that was its own journey, and a difficult one for sure.”
What Is Noah Munck Doing Now In 2021?
Unlike McCurdy, Munck didn’t walk away from acting altogether. You can currently see him as “Naked” Rob Smith on ABC’s sitcom The Goldbergs:
Munck also dabbles with other creative pursuits. He releases EDM tracks under the name NoxiK on Soundcloud. And since 2017, he’s been posting trippy experimental comedy videos on his YouTube channel sadworld.
He also used his post-Nickelodeon days to pursue higher education. In 2014, Munck enrolled at Biola University, a private Christian school, where he studied cinema and media arts.
Some fans are still holding their breath for a surprise appearance on iCarly. We’re not so sure it will happen, but we wish Munck well as he tries to move on to new roles and opportunities.