What happened to U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr? Health issues explored as Dave Letterman chats with Bono, The Edge for Disney

Disney's Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming with Dave Letterman will premiere on March 17, 2023, bringing together two of the most iconic musicians from one of the most iconic bands in the history of music to discuss their music and legacy with the one and only David Letterman. A trailer for the same was released some time ago by Disney+.

Almost every human has heard the name of U2 and its fabled members, Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr., men who have carved their names permanently in the pages of rock history. The band is still active, but not everything is cohesive, according to the trailer for Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming with Dave Letterman. The trailer revealed that Adam Clayton was busy making an art film while Larry was out injured.

Although Larry Mullen Jr. is still a part of U2, in December 2022, he was ruled out of drumming for a year due to injuries to his "elbows, knees [and] neck," as explained by the veteran drummer to The Washington Post's Geoff Edgers. He would also reportedly need surgery to be completely back.

The injury will prevent Larry Mullen from embarking on a tour with U2 this year, with recent reports claiming Bram van den Berg as the replacement for Mullen for this year's tour.

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Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming with Dave Letterman: What happened to Larry Mullen Jr., and when will he return?

While news like this can often make fans question the band's well-being, The Washington Post's Geoff Edgers clarified after the interview with Larry that the drummer is here to stay. He clarified that Larry was not "leaving or retiring" after the injury.

While the exact source of the injury is unknown, it is causing Larry physical stress that he is unable to cope with. He said in the interview that he would like to take some time off to heal. He also added:

"My body is not what it used to be physically. Like next year, I won’t be performing live next year. I don’t know what the band’s plan is. There’s talk of all kinds of things."

Dutch rock band Krezip's drummer Bram van den Berg has reportedly replaced Larry on the tour. Bono, the Edge, and Adam Clayton declared this in a statement that said:

"It’s going to take all we’ve got to approach the Sphere without our bandmate in the drum seat, but Larry has joined us in welcoming Bram van den Berg who is a force in his own right."

Moreover, the band has not played live in almost four years. The statement from Bono and his team also added:

"Bottom line, U2 hasn’t played live since December 2019 and we need to get back on stage and see the faces of our fans again. And what a unique stage they’re building for us out there in the desert…We’re the right band, ACHTUNG BABY the right album, and the Sphere the right venue to take the live experience of music to the next level."

While Larry Mullen Jr. will be back soon, he will not be seen drumming this year. U2 remains active and cohesive, despite several differences that often spring up between them, according to singer and frontman Bono.

Disney's Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming with Dave Letterman will explore this in detail when it premieres on March 17, 2023.