Saturday Night Live reached an astounding five decades on the air in 2025. It was an excuse for a season long celebration that included cameos from former cast members and a series of specials that were packed with beloved sketches and callbacks. Season 50 was about looking back, but we want to look forward to season 51, and the ways in which the show might look different.
SNL lost three cast members prior to the start of season 50, and speculation as to which members will quit ahead of season 51 has always been a topic of conversation for fans as we transition to the offseason. We're here to sift through the speculation, and determine which SNL cast members you should be most worried about.
Heidi Gardner
Heidi Gardner has held down the fort at SNL for an impressive eight seasons. Not Kenan Thompson numbers, but notable by any other metric. The comedian did, admit, however, that she was starting to feel burnt out by the show's demanding schedule during a 2025 interview with Craig Ferguson.
"I've started to feel a little bit is just sketch fatigue, or idea fatigue," she told the former talk show host. "At this point, after doing Groundlings and SNL for so long, I'm like, 'I've written a lot of sketches.'" The SNL veteran went on to note that there are weeks where she struggles to come up with new material.
We've heard alum like Andy Samberg talk about the difficulty of sustaining an SNL lifestyle for years on end, and we could envision a world where Gardner leaves in the near future.
Devon Walker
Let's look at the numbers. Devon Walker is near the bottom of the list when it comes to season 50 screen time, according to Late Nighter. The comedian has often clocked in around 1-2 minutes of screen time per episode this year, which does not bode well, historically speaking, for comedians.
Molly Kearney the SNL player with the least screen time in season 49 (barring the comedy trio Please Don't Destroy), is no longer on the show. Punkie Johnson had the fourth lowest screen time in season 48, according to Vulture, and Lauren Holt had the lowest in season 46 before their respective exits. We're not saying Devon Walker is leaving right away, but the numbers suggest he may up for some reevaluation.
Mikey Day
Mikey Day, like Gardner, has had an excellent tenure on the sketch series. He joined as a writer in 2013 before transitioning to featured player and cast member in 2016 and 2018, respectively. He has put in a lot of work, but it's worth noting that season 50 marked the first time he missed an episode.
Day was MIA during the Charli XCX episode on November 16, breaking an episode appearance streak that currently ranks third all time behind Fred Armisen and the aforementioned Kenan. He also played his future plans close to chest when Deadline asked him if he would be game to return for season 51, telling the outlet: "Who knows what the future will bring?"
Sounds like a guy who might be looking for the door.
Chloe Fineman
Chloe Fineman is following the Pete Davidson model, which is to say, she has amassed an impressive career outside of SNL, despite not getting much screen time on the show that catapulted her to fame. Fineman is near the bottom of the list when it comes to season 50 screen time, but it makes sense given how booked she is with film and TV projects.
Fineman has appeared in seven films over the last four years, including the blockbuster Despicable Me 4 (2024) and the critically acclaimed dramas Babylon and White Noise (both 2022). She's set to be in Freakier Friday this summer, and has already signed on to appear in two more comedies. We love seeing Fineman on SNL, but if she walked away to pursue acting full time, we wouldn't blame her.
Michael Che
It's become tradition to include Michael Che in discussions about which SNL cast members could walk away. The Weekend Update co-host has made potentially leaving part of his SNL persona, as evidenced by the fact that he's been so candid about it during interviews and public appearances.
"This is my last season," he said during a comedy set in February. "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." A few months prior, Che took to Instagram Stories to voice his growing disinterest in "show business."
We could be looking at another example of Lucy pulling the football and tricking Charlie Brown again (we're Chuck in this analogy), or we could be looking at an SNL veteran deciding to walk away after a historic 50th season. Keep an eye on him.