While midseason cast exits aren’t common, they have happened in the past. However, Bowen Yang’s exit from Saturday Night Live comes shortly after major other exits, including Ego Nwodim.
There is a huge imbalance in the show right now, especially with no Black female performer since season 39. This could be the perfect time to fix things by introducing a new cast member, especially with the most recent exit. However, it may not be the very first episode of the year that does this, and we may need to wait a little later into the month.
Saturday Night Live has introduced new cast members midseason before
When the midseason exits have happened in the past, there have usually been new cast members joining shortly after. Sasheer Zamata joined in January 2014, becoming the first Black female cast member since the exit of Maya Rudolph in 2007. That hiring did come off the back of criticism toward SNL when the six new cast members joining the series in fall 2013 were white — with five of them being men.
At the same time, Leslie Jones joined the series as a writer, but she would eventually be promoted to a series regular cast member just a couple of months later (after doing a couple of guest spots first). She joined Colin Jost on the “Weekend Update,” someone else who was promoted midseason to a cast member from the writers room.
So, with this precedent, it is possible that we’ll see a cast member join the series full time in January 2026. This may not be in the first episode, but there are two more episodes to come this month, and that offers plenty of time.
Could this open to more screentime for others?
Rather than hiring other cast members, Saturday Night Live could give the floor to other cast members already on the series. Jeremy Culhane and Ben Marshall could end up with a little more screentime, and there’s even the opportunity for Ashley Padilla to get more exposure, especially as she’s become the show’s breakout star of the season.
There isn’t an issue with scaling down a cast, as long as it’s done right. The problem right now is the lack of balance in diversity, and that is something that needs to be addressed. However, budget concerns could limit the hiring of another fulltime cast member, and we could see guests from the writers room step in instead.
Saturday Night Live returns with new episodes tonight, Saturday, Jan. 17, at 11:30/10:30c on NBC.