When Pete Davidson appeared on Weekend Update for the SNL season finale back in May, it sure did sound like the show’s large adult son might be saying goodbye. Davidson reinforced that idea a few days later during a roundtable chat for The Hollywood Reporter, where he was asked if he had any interest in beating co-star Kenan Thompson’s record 18-season run. “I’m good,” Davidson said at the time. “I’m ready to hang up the jersey.” Something may have changed for Davidson in the month since because now he seems a little less certain about his future at SNL. “Speaking for myself, I don’t know what the plan is,” Davidson said during a recent interview with Gold Derby, per EW. “Everything is kind of up in the air right now just depending on scheduling. It is my seventh year, and that’s what the contract is usually for.” He went on to suggest that it might be his time to step away from the series, which is heading into its 47th season. “It’s a big cast; there’s a lot of new guys in there, and there’s a lot of great new talent that it’s their time to shine,” Davidson said. “I have no idea what’s going on right now.”
It’s unclear if Davidson genuinely doesn’t have an answer regarding his SNL future, or if he’s walked back his previous comments as a negotiation tactic. Just this past week, it was reported that Davidson has signed on to star opposite Kaley Cuoco in the upcoming rom-com Meet Cute, his latest leading role following Judd Apatow’s The King Of Staten Island and the Hulu comedy Big Time Adolescence. Davidson’s newfound leading man status—which feels almost as improbable as his dating life—may have a little something to do with the uncertainty around his SNL return. And he’s not the only cast member rumored to be exiting the series; the emotional nature of the season 46 finale fueled speculation that Kate McKinnon, Cecily Strong, and Kenan Thompson might also depart Studio 8H. As of now, Davidson is the only cast member who’s publicly commented on a potential exit.