There’s something unexpectedly gut-punching about watching an SNL star exit. I mean, sure, they’re off to bigger and better things. But who’s going to fill the void? Who's going to bring the same chaos, the same perfectly timed impressions, or the same wild energy that made audiences laugh until their stomachs hurt? No matter how many times a cast member comes and goes, it never gets easier.
Ahead of SNL season 51, word got out that there would be a cast shake-up. We just didn't know who would be staying, who would be leaving, and who would be joining. The sad news of cast departures began surfacing in August 2025, when several cast members announced their exits. That was then followed by the announcement of five new cast members in early September. A complete cast lineup was announced shortly after.
Now SNL creator Lorne Michaels is finally addressing the cast changes head-on. While talking to Entertainment Tonight on the red carpet at the 2025 Emmys, Michaels acknowledged that saying goodbye to longtime cast members is never easy but emphasized that bringing in new faces keeps the show fresh, exciting, and relevant for today’s audiences.
He shared that SNL has always thrived by mixing different generations of talent. While it’s difficult when cast members leave, there’s a natural time for people to move on. He explained that the show’s audience has always skewed young, and that trend is even stronger now because of platforms like TikTok, which influence what younger viewers find entertaining. That said, he stated that he's optimistic about the new season, expressing excitement for the incoming cast members.
“The show has always brought people in from different ages and different generations, and it’s how it revives itself. It’s always hard when people leave, but there’s a time for that and our audience has always stayed relatively young, and more so now with TikTok. Change is good. The people we’re bringing in, I’m really excited about.”
Back in August 2025, news broke that Devon Walker, Emil Wakim, Michael Longfellow, and long-time SNL cast member Heidi Gardner would be leaving the show ahead of its fifty-first season. This marked the start of a major cast shake-up. Then, in September 2025, the show announced that there would be five new cast members joining the hit sketch comedy show. Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson, and Veronika Slowikowska were revealed to be the new additions.
Just a few days after this announcement, the full SNL season 51 cast lineup was revealed. Joining the newcomers just listed are returning cast members Michael Che, Colin Jost, Kenan Thompson, Mikey Day, Chloe Fineman, Bowen Yang, Andrew Dismukes, Marcello Hernandez, James Austin Johnson, Sarah Sherman, Ashley Padilla, and Jane Wickline. SNL veteran Ego Nwodim was initially reported to be returning for SNL season 51, but she ultimately decided to leave the show to pursue other opportunities.
SNL season 51 is scheduled to premiere on NBC on Oct. 4, 2025.