Kenan Thompson Drops Cryptic Hint About ‘SNL’ Future

The 47-year-old comic, who holds the title of “SNL”’s longest-running solid member with 22 seasons underneath his belt, revealed he has not but signed on for Season 23.

Kenan Thompson’s feedback come amid rising hypothesis about potential solid departures.

Talking to Page Six on the Reel Works twenty fourth Changemakers Gala on Wednesday, Thompson described the latest season finale as “bittersweet” and hinted that important adjustments could possibly be on the horizon.

“Particularly this yr, the place it looks like there’s possibly, probably, a number of change subsequent yr,” he mentioned. “You need everybody to remain perpetually, realizing that folks could also be making selections this summer time… it’s at all times such as you need your children to remain younger.”

The finale even poked enjoyable on the rumors, with solid member Sarah Sherman jokingly hinting at an exit and Colin Jost cracking clever on “Weekend Replace” about probably taking on Lorne Michaels’ job.

As for Michaels himself, the 80-year-old creator and government producer of the present instructed The Hollywood Reporter in 2024 that he has no speedy plans to step down. “So so long as it’s vital and I might be helpful, I’ll keep,” he mentioned.

Thompson, nevertheless, stays cautious.

Regardless of his seniority and deep roots at “SNL,” he emphasised that nothing is ever sure.

“You simply by no means know what the long run holds,” he admitted. “I don’t need to be in the way in which of another person, or the stale previous man using the identical factor. That doesn’t actually occur that a lot at ‘SNL,’ however there’s no ensures, I suppose.”

Thompson is just not the one solid member to deal with the way forward for the present.

As “Saturday Evening Stay” wrapped its landmark fiftieth season, Bowen Yang took a second to replicate, each onstage and off, sparking questions on his future with the present. Talking to Entertainment Weekly, Yang opened up concerning the flood of feelings that hit him that night time.

“I believe you get to some extent at ‘SNL’ the place you perceive that you simply’re on the downswing of issues,” he mentioned on the Season 50 finale. “I believe I used to be simply processing that being one of many final ‘final nights’ that I might have, and that could be a enormous factor.”

Yang went on to explain the annual season finale as a second of emotional launch.

“Each finale at goodnights, one thing leaves my physique as a result of I’m simply relieved from all that occurred in that season, and this was a giant one,” he defined. “We went by means of quite a bit, so many enjoyable reminiscences. I believe that was in all probability what was registering. I used to be identical to, oh, I have to savor these moments earlier than I don’t have them anymore.”

When requested immediately whether or not he’ll return for Season 51, Yang sidestepped the query with amusing, replying, “No, we’re not doing that.”