Conan O’Brien crowns himself Oscars 'host for life' in hilarious 'One Battle After Another' parody
An honor to be reunited with my mentor, Jim Downey. pic.twitter.com/unxXpF2OvY
— Conan O'Brien (@ConanOBrien) March 16, 2026
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Conan O'Brien, returning as the 2026 Oscars host, once again proved why he’s a master of humor and wit. In a funny pre-recorded sketch, he cheekily crowned himself “host for life,” adding his signature goofy charm. The segment, titled 'One Battle After Another,' even included a nod to MrBeast, surprising the audience with the playful twist.
For the first time at the Oscars, the clip aired immediately after the live show ended. With his sharp timing and spot-on jokes, O’Brien kept the crowd laughing throughout. This was his second consecutive year hosting the Academy Awards, which took place on Sunday, March 15.
Conan O'Brien’s comedy sketch steals the show
O’Brien was shown his brand-new office, celebrating his self-declared eternal hosting gig, in a parody of the climactic scene from the Best Picture winner, 'One Battle After Another'. “All this for me?” an overjoyed O’Brien asked, as an Academy representative pointed to his name on the office door, a clear nod to the film’s iconic ending.
But O’Brien’s joy was short-lived. As he kicked his feet up on the desk, he met the same grim fate as Sean Penn’s character, Steven J Lockjaw, for which Penn had won his third Oscar earlier that night. O’Brien was humorously shoved into an incinerator, recreating Lockjaw’s final scene from Paul Thomas Anderson’s film.
The joke ended with a twist: O’Brien’s “Host for Life” nameplate was replaced with one for YouTube star MrBeast, making him the new eternal host, while O’Brien’s character was carried away to the incinerator, mixing dark humor with Oscars parody.
MrBeast’s response steals the spotlight
However, MrBeast didn’t actually appear in the pre-recorded Oscars sketch, but his reaction was perfect. The YouTube star shared a repost of the office door from the clip on his social media, adding a zany face emoji to his Instagram story.
Meanwhile, Conan O'Brien commented on the sketch from his own Instagram, writing, “An honor to be reunited with my mentor, Jim Downey,” alongside a video of the hilarious segment. ABC may not have the option to bring O’Brien back next year, but his performance this year has earned widespread praise, and fans are clearly loving the back-and-forth fun online.
