SNL hires four new cast members: Marcello Hernandez, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow, and Devon Walker

Saturday Night Live has been going through a major cast shakeup in the off-season. A total of seven cast members left following season 47, marking a significant departure that opened up numerous spots. Now, word comes that four new cast members will join SNL.

The new cast members announced so far for SNL season 48 are Marcello Hernandez, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow, and Devon Walker.

All four new SNL cast members have been building their reputations. Marcello Hernandez was selected as a Just For Laughs New Face this year; Molly Kearney has appeared on Amazon Prime’s A League of Their Own; Michael Longfellow performed at the Netflix Is a Joke Fest, and Devon Walker has written for the animated series Big Mouth.

While four is certainly a strong start in filling in the vacant spots, Saturday Night Live creator and producer Lorne Michaels has dubbed this a “transition year” for the show, of which SNL has certainly had its share. One of the most notorious was the ‘85-’86 season, in which Michaels returned after a hiatus. It has been reported that Lorne Michaels will likely retire after season 50, hopefully when the “transition” has settled and become comfortable for fans.

The biggest names that left after season 47 of Saturday Night Live include Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, and Kyle Mooney. That mass exodus of seven showed the highest number of departing cast members since 1995.

Saturday Night Live picked up its sixth consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Variety Sketch Series at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Season 48 of Saturday Night Live will premiere on October 1. The host and musical guest have yet to be announced.

How do you feel about this casting? Do you feel SNL can recover quickly from losing so many key players? Let us know in the comments below!