7 ‘Saturday Night Live’ Stars Most Likely to Leave After Season 50

As the landmark 50th anniversary season of comedy institution Saturday Night Live approaches its May 17 finale, behind-the-scenes whispers about cast departures have grown from quiet murmurs to a steady buzz of speculation.

The season-ending episode, set to be hosted by Scarlett Johansson with musical guest Bad Bunny, may serve as more than just a seasonal conclusion for several key players in the show’s unusually large 17-member ensemble. While fans shouldn’t expect a mass exodus similar to the one that occurred at the end of Season 47 (when eight cast members departed), several long-tenured performers appear poised to pursue new opportunities after participating in the highly anticipated anniversary celebrations that dominated this season.

Colin Jost & Michael Che

Weekend Update anchors Jost and Che top most observers’ departure lists. The duo, who have occupied the news desk chairs since 2014, making them the fourth and fifth longest-serving cast members in SNL history (behind Seth Meyers, Darrell Hammond, and Kenan Thompson), have repeatedly hinted at their potential exits. Che in particular has made several public statements suggesting Season 50 would be his last, most notably during a February stand-up performance at the University of Rochester, where he told the audience, “This is my last season. I’m not coming back, don’t worry. I’m done, it’s over for me. It’s been so much fun. It’s a little emotional, it’s bittersweet.”

While Che’s history of joking about departing makes some industry insiders skeptical, the timing makes sense for both Update anchors. Having guided viewers through two presidential election cycles, they could comfortably step away before coverage of the 2026 midterms begins. The finale’s hosting by Johansson, who happens to be Jost’s wife, could provide a fitting family send-off should he decide to leave.

Heidi Gardner

Approaching her eighth season on the program, Gardner has been unusually candid about experiencing creative exhaustion. In a conversation with former late-night host Craig Ferguson on his podcast Joy, Gardner admitted, “I will say the only thing that I’ve started to feel a little bit is just sketch fatigue, or idea fatigue. At this point, after doing Groundlings and SNL for so long, I’m like, ‘I’ve written a lot of sketches.’” The Shrinking actress also recently shared a nostalgic social media post about a cast retreat that many interpreted as potential foreshadowing of her departure.

Mikey Day

Day has completed nine seasons as a cast member after previously working as a writer for three years. When asked directly by Deadline about returning for Season 51, Day offered a diplomatically vague response: “Who knows what the future will bring?” His transition to hosting the game show, Is It Cake? suggests he’s already exploring opportunities beyond SNL‘s demanding schedule.

Ego Nwodim

Completing her seventh season (the traditional contract length for many SNL players), Nwodim has established herself as one of the show’s most reliable performers. When questioned about her future plans, she maintained the program’s signature mystique, telling Deadline, “We like to keep things mysterious around here. That’s part of the allure of SNL, we don’t know what’s going to happen week to week, let alone in the fall, so who knows.”

Chloe Fineman

Sixth-season cast member Fineman has recently secured several high-profile film roles, including parts in Summer of 69, Freakier Friday, Love Language, and Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis. Despite having less screen time than many repertory players this season, her expanding external opportunities suggest she might be positioning herself for a transition to full-time film work.

Bowen Yang

Another sixth-season performer who joined alongside Fineman, Yang has emerged as a breakout star across multiple platforms. Between his roles in films like Wicked, his podcast Las Culturistas (which is getting a Bravo TV special), and a potential Fire Island sequel, Yang seems to be preparing for his next chapter. He recently acknowledged this reality to People magazine, saying, “I’m seeing what life after the show is like and how beautiful it is… That inevitably requires me to sort of hang it up at some point — but I don’t know what the vision is yet.”

Likely Staying

Several rising stars appear firmly entrenched for the foreseeable future:

• James Austin Johnson’s spot-on Trump impression has made him indispensable during an election cycle.
• Andrew Dismukes has quietly become one of the most frequently used performers.
• Marcello Hernandez’s character work, particularly his fan-favorite Domingo, has generated significant buzz.
• Sarah Sherman continues to carve out a distinctive comedic voice.
• Michael Longfellow’s recurring Weekend Update appearances have some speculating he might be groomed as a potential anchor replacement.

The three newest featured players — Ashley Padilla, Emil Wakim, and Jane Wickline — face the typical uncertainty of first-year cast members, though each has had memorable moments that suggest potential longevity.

Thompson, the show’s longest-running cast member, shows no signs of relinquishing his record-setting tenure after 22 seasons. The comedian has consistently described SNL as “the greatest job in the world” and a “blessing,” leading most observers to believe he’ll continue as long as the show will have him.