As Saturday Night Live prepares to kick off the second half of Season 51 on the 2026 TV schedule, the long-running variety sketch series will be without one important player. Bowen Yang said his final goodbyes at Studio 8H during the Christmas episode, guest-hosted by his Wicked: For Good co-star Ariana Grande. After some of his SNL pals paid tribute when the episode aired, Marcello Hernández had a surprising take on his exit, and it actually makes sense.
Hernández told E! on the red carpet of the Critics’ Choice Awards on Sunday night what he thinks about Yang leaving. The exit came as a surprise to many, and since it was on such short notice, many didn’t have time to prepare themselves to deliver worthwhile farewells. And instead of veering emotional, Hernández utilized a sports metaphor for his perspective on Yang's departure:
I look at it like sports. That's a guy who put up numbers. Consistent, always putting up big sketches, and he had a distinct voice, and everybody loves him. It's for a reason. He's a hard worker, I saw him behind the scenes grinding every week. It's a guy to learn from, for sure.
I definitely wasn’t expecting the sports talk to enter the sketch comedy chat, but I can see where Hernández is coming from. Yang put in the work and has made his mark on Studio 8H over the years, and as Hernández said, like any sports star, he brought in the numbers, was a leader in some way. Like any team that loses a player, there is an empty void that proves it won’t be the same, no matter how many different players are brought on. And now I feel like crying all over again over Yang’s exit.
Yang is the latest SNL cast member to leave, after a cast exodus prior to the start of Season 51 that saw Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker, Emil Wakim, Heidi Garnder, and Ego Nwodim exiting, whether it was their choice or not. Fans are always worried that more exits are on the way, and you can never tell who is going to be next. At least for now, Hernández is stressing that he isn’t going anywhere any time soon:
I'm there, I'm there, I'm there. I'm having fun, bro. It's a crazy job, and you get to meet so many crazy people—and I love it.
Since joining Saturday Night Live in 2022, Marcello Hernández has become quite the fan-favorite. Between his Weekend Update bits and impersonations, as well as other hilarious characters, he has made his own mark on the series. Just like Yang and everyone else who has left over the years, Hernández has left an impact on SNL, and it just wouldn’t be the same without him. So after all these exits in recent months, it’s nice to know that he’ll be sticking around for the time being.
That being said, it’s likely fans haven’t seen the last of Bowen Yang on SNL. It just might be a while until he returns, whether in a surprise cameo or hosting. If anything, fans can always get a Peacock subscription and watch their favorite Yang sketches with all seasons streaming on the platform.
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