The Office Fans Have Some Wild Theories About Why Danny Cordray Disappeared

With most long-running TV series, plenty of guest stars come and go, whether it be for one quick episode or for a significant run. No matter how long the stint, there is usually a reason why that character has left, leaving the majority of fans satisfied with the temporary addition's conclusion. 

For the character Danny Cordray (Timothy Olyphant) on NBC's "The Office," this guest spot lasted only two episodes in Season 7 of the hit series, yet he disappeared without any real explanation. For the large number of still-dedicated fans of the show, there has been enough time and discussion for them to present their many different theories on where Danny Cordray ended up.

Danny first appeared on Season 7, Episode 5, "The Sting" as a successful traveling salesman who is hired by Michael Scott (Steve Carell). This sends the workplace into a tizzy because Danny is a selling machine. On top of that, the atmosphere is sprinkled with jealousy since Danny is good looking. This especially effects Jim (John Krasinski) as he finds out the new guy once went on a date with Pam (Jenna Fischer). 

These dramatic storylines go into one more episode before fans never see Danny again. Unlike plenty of other guest appearances, there is never an explanation on why he suddenly disappears, making this one of several "The Office" storylines that wound up going nowhere. Of course, when a fan searches online, there are plenty of theories about where he ended up.

When Danny Cordray was hired to be a salesman at Dunder Mifflin in "The Office," he brought plenty of drama with him. Most notably, Danny once went on a date with Pam, yet rejected her because he found her to be too dorky. Despite being verbally mentioned during Michael Scott's final Dundies Award Ceremony, Danny vanished after two episodes, and fans have theories where he went. 

Over on Reddit, some of the theories were out of this world, with one user proposing he died on route to his home planet, implying he was an alien. Meanwhile, u/ll_Maurice_ll kept the character's final destination more local by theorizing that he moved to Kentucky to kill hillbillies. This is also implying he switched his identity to Raylan Givens of "Justified," who Timothy Olyphant also plays. On YouTube, @ricksanchez5971 also proposed a fun crossover.

"Now he's in Mandalorian," they posted in reference to Olyphant's role on the Disney+ series. These fun explanations were shot down by some, who turned to both fictional and real-life logic. 

"Guys," Evan Hughe posted on YouTube, "its because he is Dunder Mifflin's on the road salesman. He doesn't work in the actual office." u/sinsaraly also took a more logical approach, assuming Olyphant's schedule didn't allow for more appearances. Whatever the actual reason, Danny's disappearance remains a mystery and will surely be discussed further amongst the show's fans.