The exits of Saturday Night Live staples Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, and Kyle Mooney were likely met with mixed reactions from fans. Some might have been shocked, while others may have been able to predict that the longtime series stars were ready to move on. Either way, it's likely that they were somewhat saddened to hear that the stars would be leaving. While some of the actors themselves have spoken about their departures, not many of their castmates have weighed in, though Colin Jost is now opening up about how he feels.
The Weekend Update co-anchor had been the subject of exit rumors himself, despite constant denials as seen on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. His co-anchor, Michael Che, even had to clear up rumors about his possible departure from the late-night sketch show. When speaking about the recent round of departures with ET, Jost explained that his contact with his former co-stars won't end, but it sounds like he'll still have to get used to not seeing them around:
I hope I will still see them. It’s not like I’m suddenly not gonna see them, but I’ll miss them being around everyday. It's nice when your friends are just in the same building that you work in.
Having good colleagues can make a work environment more pleasurable and quite frankly fun, so the star's position is understandable. While the absences are likely tough, surely he'll still hang out with them. After all, a number of current and former SNL cast alums live in New York, so they’re bound to have some meetups. When it comes to Staten Island native Pete Davidson, the Weekend Update host will most definitely remain in contact, given the two men are renovating a ferry together.
Despite the late-night show’s competitive nature, the cast seems to be one big family, so seeing some members leave can almost be like watching siblings going off to college or moving into their own place. With that said, the loss of major stars usually leads to the promotion of featured players and the addition of fresh faces. Colin Jost was asked about this and didn’t express much concern about the potential alterations to the cast for Season 48:
I don’t think anyone's thought about anything yet. This is like our equivalent of an off-season... No one’s thinking about it at all yet.
As of this writing, there have been no official announcements made regarding who will replace the SNL veterans. Usually, the late-night sketch comedy show doesn’t confirm any cast changes until closer to the premiere date, so it's possible that the public won't receive any updates for another month or so.
The Season 47 departures were bittersweet as Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, and Kyle Mooney had all been breakout stars for the late-night series. But in recent years, they had appeared less frequently, as each one expanded their resumes with outside film and television projects, among other media-related opportunities. That didn’t make their exits less emotional, though, as Mooney shared a sweet goodbye post to his SNL family. While it's sad to see them go, it's comforting that all have other projects in the works and, like Colin Jost, their colleagues are sure to hold special places in their hearts for them.
Only time will tell how things pan out casting-wise for Saturday Night Live Season 48. Colin Jost is expected to return for the upcoming season, which follows the year that he broke SNL alum Seth Meyers’ Weekend Update record. While the premiere date has not been announced yet, you'll eventually be able to find it on CinemaBlend's 2022 TV schedule.
