Saturday Night Live is making a lot of changes to the cast for season 51.
Showrunner Lorne Michaels teased that there would be a casting shakeup following the variety show’s milestone 50th season.
“Last season, when we were at the party of the first show, quarter of four in the morning, Dana [Carvey, who played Joe Biden] comes over to me and says, ‘I don’t think anyone knows you called me June 4th [to play Biden].’ I wanted people coming back and being part of [the 50th season],” Michaels said in an August 24 interview with Puck. “So when Kate [McKinnon] hosted, Kristen [Wiig] and Maya [Rudolph] came back for it. And that meant there couldn’t be those kind of disruptions [to the cast], or anything that was going to take the focus off [the 50th season]. And we had an election.”
Michaels stated that casting news would be coming soon and confirmed that James Austin Johnson would return. The following day, Devon Walker was the first cast member to announce his departure. His post included a photo of him behind the scenes with the caption, “Me and baby broke up 
.”
SNL season 51 will premiere on NBC Saturday, October 4.
Keep scrolling to see who is returning — and who’s not — for SNL season 51:
James Austin Johnson — Returning
Michaels confirmed to Puck on August 24 that Johnson would continue his Donald Trump impression for season 51. Johnson has not addressed his return.
Devon Walker — Leaving
Walker announced his SNL departure after three seasons via Instagram on August 25. In the slideshow, the comedian included a message to fans titled, “Wait … did he quit or did he get fired?”
“To me, jobs in this industry feel like a bunch of little marriages. Some of em last for a long time if we’re lucky, but most of them are fleeting,” Walker wrote. “Permanent until they’re not. That’s the deal. You know what it is when you sign up.”
He continued: “Me and the show did three years together, and sometimes it was really cool. Sometimes it was toxic as hell. But … we made the most of what it was, even amidst all the dysfunction. We made a f***ed up lil family.”
Emil Wakim — Leaving
After Walker’s shocking announcement, Wakim shared that he would not be coming back to the show following his first season.
“It was a gut punch of a call to get but I’m so grateful for my time there,” Wakim reflected via Instagram on August 27. “I was at Six Flags celebrating my friend’s 36th birthday and went on a really emotional walk through Bugs Bunny Park and stared out across Daffy Duck Lake thinking about life.”
Wakim also expressed his gratitude for the experience.
“Every time I scanned into the building I would think how insane it is to get to work there. It was the most terrifying, thrilling, and rewarding experience of my life and I will miss it dearly and all the brilliant people that work there that made it feel like a home. Thank u to Lorne for taking a chance on me and changing my life,” he continued. “I was so lucky to bring some of myself in there and say things I believed in and I’m excited for whatever chapter comes next. Here’s to making more art without compromise.”
Michael Longfellow — Leaving
Deadline reported on August 28 that Longfellow was exiting SNL after three seasons. Longfellow has not addressed his departure.
Heidi Garnder — Leaving
News broke on August 28 that Gardner would not be returning for season 51 after starring on the series for eight years. Gardner did not immediately comment on the news.
Tommy Brennan — Joining
Brennan is one of five new faces joining the season 51 cast, NBC announced on September 2. The comedian is from Minnesota and previously performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Jeremy Culhane — Joining
The California native was known for his viral TikTok videos prior to being announced on September 2 as a new cast member for the upcoming season.
Ben Marshall — Joining
Marshall joined the SNL writing staff in 2021, but will make his on-camera debut during season 51.
Kam Patterson — Joining
Season 51 will be Patterson’s first on SNL after being a stand-up comedian and starring on Netflix’s 72 Hours.
Veronika Slowikowska — Joining
Slowikowska is the fifth comedian joining the NBC series this fall following her viral sketches on social media.
Marcello Hernandez — Returning
The star of the recurring “Domingo” sketches told Hola! on Wednesday, September 3, that he was hard at work with the SNL writing staff ahead of the season 51 premiere.
“[I’m] writing and having a lot of chats with the writers. It’s gonna be a good one, I think,” he teased.
Hernández acknowledged that there has been “been a lot of changes” at Saturday Night Live — including the hiring of five new featured players — in the past few weeks, though he remained optimistic about what producer Michaels has in store for viewers.
“Let’s see what happens,” the comedian said.
