John Oliver to Tackle Gun Control as Host of 'The Daily Show,' John Stewart in Iran

Jon Stewart announced on the Thursday taping of The Daily Show that he will be leaving for the summer. Special correspondent, John Oliver, will take over hosting duties. Whether Oliver possesses Stewart's expertise at tackling tough issues, such as gun control, remains to be seen.

Stewart will be spending the summer in the Middle East, where he'll be directing a movie based on the novel, Then They Came for Me: 118 Days in Iran's Most Notorious Prison. The book is an autobiographical account of Maziar Bahari, a journalist who was imprisoned and tortured after speaking with one of The Daily Show's correspondents in Iran.

Stewart devoted a significant amount of time to covering Bahari's treatment and explaining the show's role in the process.

In the arena of late night talk shows, Stewart's move isn't entirely uncommon. Johnny Carson would frequently use guest hosts, ranging from Kermit the Frog to Joan Rivers (who has guest hosted more than anyone).

Since Carson, the trend has died down, presumably due to the increased competitiveness in late night programming. Jay Leno hasn't allowed a guest to host his show in over 20 years, and it took heart surgery before Letterman would ever relinquish his wheel.

Stewart, however, seems unafraid--brazenly selecting John Oliver to replace him. Stewart even incorporated Oliver into the famous "Moment of Zen" section of his show. Check out the last interaction the two will have for the next 12 weeks.

In the battle of the Jon/Johns, who do you think will be victorious? We'll have to wait 'til Monday, Oliver's first night on the job, to find out.