Should you have any reaction to this news, it can only depend on how much Jason Segel affected your enjoyment of The Muppets. If he was a burden, here you go; if he was a benefit, well, sorry. Said news comes from Vulture, who report that the inevitable sequel to last fall’s family hit will bring back director James Bobin and co-writer Nicholas Stoller — but Segel, who co-wrote, starred, and helped will the project to life through years of enthusiasm, will not be lending his name to the screenplay once more.

And it’s for the most basic of reasons: he’s too busy. Just right now, Segel‘s schedule consists of shooting on How I Met Your Mother, promotion for three movies hitting throughout 2012 (The Five-Year Engagement, Jeff Who Lives at Home, and This is Forty), other writing opportunities, and whatever else may come to fruition in the little free time still available. The Muppets 2, it seems, can’t be squeezed in.

This doesn’t entirely discount his chances of returning — that all “[depends] on how the Stoller-Bobin script turns out” — but most will agree that it’s unfortunate for one of the original’s loudest voices to be rendered silent the second time out. Kermit and Miss Piggy should be returning in their full capacity, however.

Are your expectations for a Muppets follow-up diminished by Segel’s smaller input?