Bowen Yang, Michael Che, and others confirm returning for season 51 of Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live will return next month for its 51st season, and the show has confirmed which cast members are heading back to Studio 8H at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.Bowen Yang, Ego Nwodim, Sarah Sherman, Chloe Fineman, Mikey Day, Marcello Hernández, James Austin Johnson, Andrew Dismukes, Ashley Padilla, and Jane Wickline will all reprise their roles.

Kenan Thompson will also be back, continuing his record-breaking run as the longest-serving cast member in the history of the late-night sketch comedy series.Michael Che and Colin Jost are set to return as co-anchors of “Weekend Update.” Jost’s return was confirmed by his wife, actress Scarlett Johansson, during the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, where she was promoting her new film Eleanor the Great.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Johansson said simply, “He’s going back to work.”Asked if she might participate in Jost and Che’s popular “joke swap” segment in the future, Johansson noted that decisions for the show often come together at the last minute. “I think that’s basically the MO over at 30 Rock—that everything is like moments before,” she said. “It’s usually like Friday night before the Saturday show.”

The new season will launch amid cast shakeups that bring fresh faces to the ensemble while also marking the departure of some familiar names. With a mix of long-standing players and newer additions, SNL enters its 51st year continuing its role as one of television’s most enduring institutions.