One big reason Mr. Stewart and Comedy Central executives leaned toward him was because of his experience in production as well as performing. Mr. Wilmore will be deeply involved in putting the show together.

“These productions need a person who has the chops to handle that end of it,” Mr. Stewart said.

Mr. Wilmore thought his next move might be trying to create a sitcom he would star in. But instead Mr. Wilmore had signed up to work full-time as the show runner on a new ABC sitcom called “Black-ish,” about a successful African-American dad worried about his kids losing touch with their culture.

“I love the idea of the show,” said Mr. Wilmore, who will be able to work on the series until October, when he begins preparing his late-night show. “I couldn’t believe it came from Disney, of all places.” (Walt Disney is the parent of ABC.)

Mr. Wilmore added, “But then I thought: I guess Mickey Mouse is black, when you think about it.”

Providing that sort of piquant commentary on racial topics has been Mr. Wilmore’s specialty on “The Daily Show,” though he said it has always been a touchstone of his comedy.

“The first show I worked on was ‘In Living Color.’ I think ‘The Daily Show’ was the culmination of having that point of view — being able to look at this third rail in our society.”

He joined “The Daily Show” in 2006 as Mr. Colbert was leaving it to start his own show. His first night, he was asked to provide a commentary on the use of the slur “macaca” by the incumbent Senate candidate George Allen of Virginia. It was the perfect faux pas for Mr. Wilmore to skewer.

“Because of our limited space, that sort of commentary became the narrow trench that Larry would occupy,” Mr. Stewart said. “But he’s got a lot more than that.”