Well, Lorne Michaels confirmed that SNL’s cast would be shaken up going into Season 51, and that’s continuing to be true. After multiple cast members and writers announced their departures, it was revealed that Michael Longfellow will not be returning to Studio 8H either, and fans are upset.
This week, we’ve learned that Devon Walker will be leaving SNL after three seasons, and Emil Wakim is exiting after one. Along with them, writers Celeste Yim and Weekend Update’s Rosebud Baker are departing as well. Now, Deadline has reported that Michael Longfellow won’t be coming back either.
Longfellow joined Saturday Night Live in Season 48, and he became part of the main cast in Season 50. His exit, honestly, is quite a shock. People loved his bits on Weekend Update, as he provided commentary on topics like TikTok to Real ID. It also seemed like he potentially was being primed to take over the Update desk.
A couple of days ago, it was rumored that Longfellow and writer KC Shornima had allegedly taped auditions to take over Weekend Update. Those rumors were not confirmed, and we do not know right now if Colin Jost and Michael Che will be returning to their long-held seats behind the desk. However, the notion of taking over this storied segment of SNL is a very big deal, and many fans thought the three-year veteran would be a good fit for the gig.
However, he will not be coming back, and fans are upset. Plus, this being the third major casting exit in a week has viewers feeling angry as they posted reactions like:
- First Devon Walker, then Emil Wakim, now MICHAEL FREAKING LONGFELLOW??! WHAT IS GOING ON AT SNL???? -@tybanarkmovies
- This guy seemed a shoe-in for the Update Desk. -@DanArndtWrites
- Why are they getting rid of the good cast members. -@bribrisimps
- Speechless ngl … here’s to incredible Weekend Update moments that I will cherish and he should be really proud of, let this be the start of such a promising stand-up career he deserves. -@covcy
- I’m gluing him to the Update desk and he’s not allowed to leave, don’t worry guys I solved it. -@drewnotsogooden
The rumors that he could potentially take over Weekend Update are what a lot of fans are freaking out about. Which makes sense, it’s the worst when you’re hopeful about something and then quite literally the opposite thing happens. To that point, @guadagninogirl posted:
so there will be no michael longfellow as weekend update anchor pic.twitter.com/YeLUE1qemlAugust 28, 2025
Anytime exits happen at Saturday Night Live, it’s hard. Change is hard. However, it’s been part of this show for the last 50 years, and as it continues to evolve, we’ll keep you updated.
At the moment, the only confirmed returning cast member is James Austin Johnson. Bowen Yang, Kenan Thompson, Chloe Fineman, Heidi Gardner, Michael Che, Colin Jost, Marcello Hernández, Mikey Day, Andrew Dismukes, Ego Nwodim, Sarah Sherman and more have not said anything yet about whether they’ll be back, and the full Season 51 cast has not been confirmed.
So, it’s possible that we’ll see more departures and potentially additions leading up to Season 51’s October 4 premiere on the 2025 TV schedule. In the meantime, you can go back and stream Michael Longfellow’s bits on SNL with a Peacock subscription. He may not have been in Studio 8H for long, but it’s clear from fans’ reactions that his work will stick with them.
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