Saturday Night Live is returning for its 52nd season, and the excitement is already building. New announcements about the show’s upcoming guest appearances have piqued viewers’ interest, with Dakota Johnson set to return to SNL for the third time to host an episode. However, what fans have been even more curious about is the cast.

Previously, three fan-favorite members, Bowen Yang, Chloe Fineman, and Martin Herlihy, exited the show. Their departures have raised questions about who is set to return for the new season and which new faces will join the cast. So, here is a closer look at the returning cast members and the newcomers stepping into the spotlight.

Ben Marshall

Jeremy Culhane

Kam Patterson

Tommy Brennan

Veronika Slowikowska 

Kenan Thompson

Colin Jost

Michael Che 

Mikey Day

Sarah Sherman

Ashley Padilla

James Austin Johnson

Marcello Hernández

Andrew Dismukes

Jane Wickline

Bowen Yang has previously opened up about his exit from the show. Meanwhile, Chloe Fineman and Martin Herlihy have left the show after seven and five season run with the show. Marshall, Culhane, Patterson, Brennan, and Slowikowska joined the show in the last few years, and they will return for season 52. Thompson and Jost are the veteran members of the show, who will continue their run on the show.

While a few members left the show last year, Season 52 will introduce some new faces to the cast. Grace Reiter, who starred in The Chair Company, will join the show this year. Another new cast member is filmmaker Saidah Belo-Osagie, who previously had her own solo show, Saidah Gets Closure. While the cast is confirmed, there has also been plenty of chatter surrounding the show’s guest appearances.

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One of the most talked-about guest appearances is set for the first episode of this season.

Saturday Night Live is set to kick off Season 52 with plenty of star power and energy. And who better to lead the season premiere than newly crowned champion Jalen Brunson, who helped bring a championship to New York after more than five decades? Brunson is set to host the season premiere, scheduled for September 26, 2026. 

This will be the basketball player’s hosting debut. He will be joined by global girl group KATSEYE, who will serve as the musical guest and bring even more excitement to the show. SNL will continue its run with more exciting hosts and guests in the future, including Dakota Johnson, Shane Gillis, Inde Navarrette and more.

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What do you think about the new cast of SNL? Let us know in the comments.