Saturday Night Live Cuts Its First Cast Member Ahead Of Season 51, But It’s Not All Bad News

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As the release of the 2025 TV schedule draws near, speculation about the cast for the upcoming season 51 of “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) has been growing. Lorne Michaels, the show’s boss, hinted at updates being forthcoming, and Kenan Thompson, a long-time star, had previously suggested changes were on the horizon following Season 50. Now, it’s official that one cast member, Devon Walker, will not be returning for Season 51.

Devon Walker joined Saturday Night Live as a featured player in 2022, then landed the promotion to repertory cast member in time for the 50th anniversary season last year. He announced his departure on Instagram with the understated caption of “me and baby broke up ❤️.” The actor went more in-depth on one of the slides, writing:

In this field, work relationships seem akin to brief but intense commitments, much like marriages. Some of them can endure for years, but many don’t last long. They’re stable until they’re not. That’s the nature of it, and you understand what you’re getting into when you join. My stint with that particular show lasted three years, and it had its ups and downs. There were moments when it was wonderfully fulfilling, but there were also times when it was incredibly challenging. Yet, despite all the chaos, we formed a peculiar family.

Friends and acquaintances swiftly replied to his post, with Chloe Fineman, a former SNL cast member, saying “I’ll really miss being your pregnant wife all the time!!!” Jimmy Fowlie, a writer, expressed his love by saying “I love you forever!”. Zack Fox, an actor from Abbott Elementary, conveyed his feelings using emojis: “🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽 🚀 🚀🚀”. Ron Funches, part of the Loot cast on Apple TV+, also chimed in, saying “Moving forward and upwards. Congratulations on your impressive achievements.

The silver lining to the bad news comes via what Devon Walker clarified on his Instagram Story shortly after the news broke. He wrote [Edited for clarity]:

To clarify, I’m excited to share some positive news! It was simply time for a change in my circumstances. Rest assured, there’s no need for apologies. Our current situation doesn’t call for regret or sadness. Sometimes, parents might have differing perspectives.

Walker clarified publicly that his departure from Saturday Night Live wasn’t due to any hard feelings, which might make the farewell less harsh for fans. It seems he was eager to explore new avenues in his career, such as hosting the My Favorite Lyrics podcast. He hinted at discussing his entire departure on the podcast “soon.” Regarding his statement about leaving SNL and the images he selected to memorialize his tenure there, you can find them below.

Devon Walker was added to the SNL cast for Season 48, joining Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow, and Michael Hernandez as new members. However, Kearney left before Season 50, while Longfellow and Hernandez remained until the end of the season. In late 2024, Hernandez gained significant popularity for his role as Domingo in Ariana Grande’s popular “Bridesmaid Speech” sketch.

As reported by Deadline, citing Saturday Night Live Network, Walker had less screen time than other cast members during Season 50. It’s speculated that he might be the first of several cast members set to depart, with further announcements expected in the near future. If you’d like to revisit some of his memorable sketches from his SNL tenure, you can currently stream all seasons of the show with a Peacock subscription.

The 51st season of Saturday Night Live is set to kick off on October 4th, at 11:30 p.m. ET. There’s speculation that some of the newer stars like Devon Walker might be departing, but it’s uncertain for now. Lorne Michaels has confirmed that James Austin Johnson will return to continue his exceptional portrayal of President Donald Trump. As for Kenan Thompson, it seems he won’t be parting ways with Saturday Night Live anytime soon, though the future remains to be seen.

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2025-08-26 02:38