Saturday Night Live is no stranger to big cast shakeups. I mean, it’s been on the air for nearly five decades, so change is part of the deal. Still, that doesn’t mean fans don’t take it hard when their favorite comedians leave the late-night staple.
Sadly, news broke last week that four cast members were exiting ahead of the highly anticipated SNL season 51. This led to an outpouring of reactions from fans on social media, with heartfelt messages and even some dramatic “we can’t believe they’re gone” posts flooding timelines.
But amid the digital mourning, Devon Walker, one of the departing stars, has stepped in with a dose of reality and humor. After seeing fans mourn his departure, Walker couldn’t help but poke fun at the dramatic reactions on X.
One fan shared an emotional post on X on Aug. 28 that said, "ohhh my boys @internetdevon@Longfellowww i wish you both nothing but the best." Walker then reposted and responded to this post by joking that people were acting as if something tragic had happened to him and his fellow co-stars, who are also exiting the late-night sketch comedy show, when really they're just moving on to new work opportunities. Of course, you can leave it to an SNL alum to turn even their exit into a punchline!
yall acting like we died lol we just getting different jobs https://t.co/pkcNxNOza5
— Devon Walker (@internetdevon) August 28, 2025
SNL season 51 cast exits
Walker was the first cast member to announce his departure prior to the start of the fifty-first season via Instagram. He originally joined SNL in 2022 as a featured player and earned a promotion during the show’s milestone fiftieth anniversary season.
On Aug. 27, comedian Emil Wakim announced via his Instagram page that he had been fired from the sketch comedy show after only one season. He joined the SNL cast as a featured player for the fiftieth installment, but will not be returning for SNL season 51.
The third cast member who was revealed to have been let go was Michael Longfellow. He joined the show as a featured player in season 48 and was promoted to the main cast ahead of season 50. Then, there's fan-favorite Heidi Gardner, who began as a featured player on SNL back in 2017 and was later promoted to a repertory player in 2019. She will not be returning for SNL season 51.
However, there will be five new cast members in the upcoming season. They are Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson, and Veronika Slowikowska. This is a huge change for SNL, and fans will either welcome the fresh talent with excitement or take some time to warm up to the revamped lineup.
There's a possibility that we might not have seen the last of cast departures. SNL season 51 doesn't start airing on NBC until Oct. 4, 2025, leaving plenty of time for additional changes behind the scenes. Stay tuned to Last Night On as we'll be keeping you updated on all the latest cast news, behind-the-scenes developments, and everything you need to know before the new season kicks off.