Mark Hoppus has insisted he’s “open to whatever the next phase of Blink-182 is” after denying reports suggesting Tom DeLonge had re-joined the band.
Earlier this month, the 50-year-old musician put a stop to speculation that his ex-bandmate was in the ‘Feeling This’ group again.
However, the Simple Creatures star insisted he’s very “hopeful” about the future and wouldn’t rule anything out.
Speaking to the latest issue of People magazine, Mark – who was declared cancer-free in September 2021 – said: “I keep writing music, and I’m open to whatever the next phase of Blink is.
“I’m hopeful for the future. I’m just damn glad to be here.”
Mark, Tom and drummer Travis Barker, 46, were in the same room for the first time in around five years while he was battling an aggressive form of lymphoma.
He said: “It was the first time that all three of us were in the same room in like five years.
“There was no agenda. There were no lingering grudges. It felt very back to what it should be: three friends sitting in a room.”
And former co-vocalist and guitarist Tom, 46, even suggested a “panacea” to help with the side effects of the intense chemotherapy sessions he underwent.
Recently, Tom’s replacement Matt Skiba admitted he was unsure whether he’s still in the trio, and then Tom appeared to hint he had re-joined on social media.
The 46-year-old Alkaline Trio frontman started touring with the rock veterans in 2015, following the second departure of Tom.
He remained in the group and went on to record two albums (2016’s ‘California’ and 2019’s ‘Nine’) with them.
However, he did not appear on their 2020 single ‘Quarantine’, which was released amid the global pandemic.
And when one Instagram user commented on Matt’s selfie with “no Blink content” and “the Blink guys don’t post pictures with Matt” last month, he replied: “Your guess is as good as mine.
“Regardless, I am very proud of and thankful for my time with Blink 182. We shall see…”
Then, eagle-eyed fans noticed Tom updated his Instagram bio to include: “I make music (@blink182 and @angelsandairwaves)…”
He also posted a black-and-white photograph of the ‘Feeling This’ trio and simply tagged the group in the caption.
However, taking to his Discord page, Mark insisted Tom had not returned and suggested his throwback post was for sentimental reasons as Blink turned 30 that week.
He wrote: “There is no news to share. There is no announcement. Today is thirty years of BLINK-182!
“If and when blink has any announcement about anything, you will hear it from the official BLINK-182 outlets. Not teased on a radio station like ‘tune in for a major announcement…Tom tagged Mark in a photo from two decades ago. (sic)'”
