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“Saturday Night Live” has officially finalized the cast for Season 51, and a handful of fan-favorites are returning to Studio 8H for its premiere on Oct. 4.
Bowen Yang, Ego Nwodim and Chloe Fineman are each coming back, per Variety, while Kenan Thompson will return for an impressive and record-breaking 23rd season on the beloved NBC sketch comedy series.
The outlet added that Colin Jost and Michael Che will retake their seats behind the “Weekend Update” desk for their 12th year reading the news together, after rumors that “SNL” creator Lorne Michaels had been screen-testing new anchors for the popular segment.
Jost’s wife, Scarlett Johansson, confirmed that the comedian was “going back to work” shortly before the finalized Season 51 cast was revealed Monday.
Other stars set to return when the new season kicks off next month include Mikey Day, Sarah Sherman, Marcello Hernández, Andrew Dismukes and James Austin Johnson, as well as Season 50 newcomers Ashley Padilla and Jane Wickline.
The Post has reached out to NBC for comment.
Among those not returning to Studio 8H this season are Devon Walker, Emil Wakim, Michael Longfellow and Heidi Gardner.
Walker, 34, was the first star to announce his exit last month after Michaels, 80, teased a cast shakeup.
“Me and the show did three years together, and sometimes it was really cool,” he shared on Instagram. “Sometimes it was toxic as hell. But we made the most of what it was, even amidst all of the dysfunction. We made a f–ked up lil family.”
Wakim and Longfellow soon followed.
“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,” Wakim, 27, wrote on social media.
“Will not be returning for a 4th season at SNL,” Longfellow, 31, added in a post of his own. “Wish I was but, so it goes. It was the best three years of my life so far.”
Longfellow, who joined “SNL” as a featured player in 2022 before being promoted to the main cast last year, later detailed how and when he learned he was booted from the long-running sketch show.
Fineman, who is officially returning, appeared to confirm she was coming back when she took to Instagram last month to bid Longfellow farewell.
“Will miss ur sleepy ass at pre-tapes,” she wrote to her former co-star.
As for Gardner, The Post confirmed her exit last month after a record-breaking eight seasons as the longest-tenured woman on the show. An insider then revealed that her contract with “SNL” was not renewed.
“It’s time for a new cast,” the source exclusively shared.
Meanwhile, it was recently announced that five new featured players will be joining “SNL” for its landmark new season next month.
Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Please Don’t Destroy’s Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson and Veronika Slowikowska will each make their debuts when the sketch comedy show returns to NBC on Oct. 4.
