Joel McHale on “Late Night” (NBC)

Joel McHale’s Chef David may be a nightmare for Carmy on “The Bear,” but according to McHale himself, he’s actually “the hero” of the FX series. Seth Meyers immediately corrected that assertion on Tuesday night, though.

Stopping by “Late Night,” McHale discussed his experiences hosting Fox’s “Crime Scene Kitchen,” admitting that he’s gained a bit of weight from how much of the food he eats. Naturally, this led Meyers to “The Bear,” praising McHale for his work in it as the ruthless chef that is at least part of the root of Carmy’s (Jeremy Allen White) anxiety.

“I’m the hero,” McHale insisted, after Meyers noted his character is mean. “I’m the protagonist.”

“I don’t think anybody thinks — you’re not the hero of ‘The Bear,’” Meyers immediately retorted. “You’re a mean guy.”

The “House of Villains” star then justified his stance by arguing that Chef David is responsible for driving Carmy and kicking off his whole career, and that without his horrible treatment of Carmy, the restaurant that is The Bear wouldn’t actually exist.

“Wow! I don’t think anybody’s watching it feeling that way!” Meyers pushed back yet again, much to McHale’s disappointment.

You can watch Joel McHale’s full appearance on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” in the video above.