Saturday Night Live promises "at least" 4 new cast members on heels of 2022's great exodus

While the continuation of this streak may as well be written into Emmy voter bylaws at this point, the win is still largely thanks to the efforts of longtime cast members such as Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson, Kyle Mooney, Alex Moffat, and Melissa Villaseñor, who will all be departing the show ahead of its upcoming 48th (!!!) season.

“This will be a transition year, and the change years are always difficult but also really exciting,” said Michaels of season 48. While the names of the lucky four have not yet been revealed (will TikTok’s favorite hopeful be among them?), the creator continued to express his enthusiasm for the contributions of this “different generation.”

Michaels also cited COVID-19 as the reason so many stars departed at the end of last season. “I think people might’ve left earlier, but there was no place to go, and also, we were used to doing it, and we were under pressure to do it,” he said. “I think that there was just a bonding and I think people got very close. When we did those at-home shows, you got to see everyone’s apartment and actually where they live and how they live. So there was an intimacy and a connection between the audience and this group. I couldn’t imagine leaving work without that whole team, so we just kept going.”

And keep going they shall, potentially until there are no more Emmys left to award. Season 48 premieres on October 1.