By Heather Taylor, Editor-in-Chief, PopIcon
2026 really is the new 2016.
Seemingly everyone has hopped on the viral 2016 trend of posting throwback photos and videos from a decade ago on Instagram and TikTok. It would appear this nostalgia isn’t lost on brands either. Dos Equis announced on January 16, 2026, their iconic spokescharacter known as “The Most Interesting Man in the World” is back to encourage and inspire the next generation to “Stay Thirsty.”
Your esteemed writer was there when The Most Interesting Man in the World retired in 2016. Let’s take a trip back to his grand send-off into retirement, the next successor of “The Most Interesting Man” title, and what we know about the return of the icon a decade later.
2016: Dos Equis and the “Mission To Mars”
Life was simpler, if not straightforward enough, for brand mascots in 2016. The Energizer Bunny enjoyed a reloaded comeback, the M&M’s spokescandies celebrated their 75th anniversary, and StarKist’s Charlie the Tuna was playfully swimming into election season as an alTUNAtive political candidate. The Most Interesting Man in the World made headlines twice in the same year for his retirement and successor reveal.
After a wildly successful 10 years as one of advertising’s most legendary figures, The Most Interesting Man in the World bid planet Earth farewell in March 2016 for a one-way trip to Mars.
His departure, as Heineken was quick to note, did not mean the iconic campaign was over. Rather, it was then-described as “evolution” with the understanding that his story was simply too big to exist within the confines of one man.
As actor Jonathan Goldsmith exited the role, newcomer and French actor Augustin Legrand stepped up. Legrand was tapped by Dos Equis the same year to become the spokescharacter’s new face. He even received a modified tagline, “Stay Thirsty, Mis Amigos.”
2026: “At Long Last, He’s Back”
What has The Most Interesting Man in the World been up to since he was last seen heading to Mars? Will he be able to regale audiences with tales of Martians? Not quite.
The new spot reveals the icon went to Mars and promptly made a safe return to earth. Then, he hit his head while exiting the reentry space capsule. For the last 10 years, he doesn’t remember… anything. For the first time ever, he has turned into a rather uninteresting retiree.
What better to jog his memory bank than an ice-cold bottle of Dos Equis stuffed in the back of the garage fridge? Just seeing the familiar logo emblazoned on the green bottle is enough to remind him of his epic adventures and the very interesting man he used to be and still is today.
New and old fans alike can expect to see the bon vivant dabbling in everything from chasing tornados to stumping magicians in upcoming commercials. In a press release, Dos Equis even teased the next major chapter of the character’s story will be unveiled during a January 25th NFL broadcast.
We don’t always get the chance to live through a landmark time like 2026, but when we do we know it’s shaping up to be The Most Interesting Man in the World’s year.
Image Credits: Dos Equis and HEINEKEN USA
About the Author
Heather Taylor is the senior writer and editor-in-chief of PopIcon, Advertising Week’s blog about brand mascots. Got a pitch on brand mascots or want to wax nostalgic about characters? Drop her a line at howveryheather@gmail.com.
