Mark Hoppus talks future of Blink-182: "I'm open to whatever the next phase of Blink is"

Steve Jennings/WireImage

As Mark Hoppus continues to get back on his feet following his battle with cancer last year, he's "hopeful for the future" of Blink-182.

"I keep writing music, and I'm open to whatever the next phase of Blink is," Hoppus tells People, adding, "I'm just damn glad to be here."

Fans have been theorizing lately that the next phase of Blink would feature Tom DeLonge rejoining the band following his departure in 2015. However, Hoppus threw cold water on those rumors, posting on his Discord page that Blink currently has "nothing to announce."

Still, Hoppus notes that he's built a stronger relationship with DeLonge in recent years, and recalls when DeLonge and Blink drummer Travis Barker visited him just before he started chemotherapy.

"It was the first time that all three of us were in the same room in, like, five years," Hoppus shares. "It's actually better than it used to be. There was no agenda. There were no lingering grudges. It felt very back to what it should be: three friends sitting in a room."

Elsewhere in the People interview, Hoppus reveals that he fell into depression after initially being diagnosed with cancer.

"I was in our living room crying and telling my wife, 'I don't know if I can do this,'" Hoppus says. "She was like, 'Well, what are you going to do, kill yourself?' And that's exactly what I was thinking. It was pretty dark."

"It was a total snap-out-of-it moment," he continues. "I was like, 'What a s***ty thing to say.' But also, what a kind thing to say, like, 'Snap out of it, you f***ing baby. You have a beatable form of cancer. It's going to suck to get there, but get there.' I had to do the work."

If you are in crisis or know someone in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.

Wednesday, August 17, 2022 at 3:00PM by Josh Johnson Permalink