Entire Saturday Night Live Cast Returning for 46th Season

Days after news surfaced Saturday Night Live would be returning to Studio 8H this fall for its 46th season — as compared to starting the year off with remotely produced episodes — NBC has revealed the entire cast will remain intact. For the first time since 2007, the entire cast from last season will be returning, including the likes of Kate McKinnon and Pete Davidson. As the norm with the live sketch comedy show, there were questions to whether either of the stars would return with budding careers in Hollywood.

As of now, the only change for the upcoming season is the promotion of Ego Nwodim from featured to repertory player. Nwodim joins McKinnon, Davidson, Kenan Thompson Beck Bennett, Aidy Bryant, Michael Che, Mikey Day, Heidi Gardner, Colin Jost, Alex Moffatt, Kyle Mooney, Chris Reed, Cecily Strong, and Melissa Villaseñor as main players. Chloe Fineman and Bowen Yang, both heading into their second year, will remain as featured players.

Mooney was the one who revealed the show's return to 30 Rock earlier this month while on a virtual press tour for his upcoming movie Spree. "I don't know if any of this has been publicized yet, so I don't know what I can or can't say, but it looks like things are going to be getting going in early fall," Mooney told Collider at the time.

He added, "I think we're gonna try to do as close to the real thing as we can, in a safe way, so I think that means tests, and all that comes with it. I think they're still figuring it out, and I think there's a lot to figure out, but they have us all in their best interest. I'm assuming I'll get to see everybody."

SNL's next season is set to premiere on October 3rd and has yet to name a host or musical guest.

McKinnon was the largest question mark when it came to the cast as she's involved in two different shows in production outside of SNL, one at Hulu and another at Peacock — including a series in which she'll star as Carole Baskin from Netflix's hit Tiger King docuseries. Davidson, on the other hand, has a role in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad and starred in Judd Apatow's well-received The King of Staten Island earlier this summer.

Thompson and Redd are also starring in a series outside of SNL, a primetime comedy set for release on NBC this season.