This new season of the long-running late-night variety show, Saturday Night Live, features a number of significant changes, including the removal of Cecily Strong from the opening titles.
Even more cast members have left in the months since the 47th season concluded and its slate of farewell skits aired.
Some of these clues also suggest that Cecily Strong may not be returning to the series for the new season, raising even more questions than before about the changing direction of the show as suggested by the new opening credits.
Saturday Night Live’s new opening credits sequence for Season 48 debuted during the premiere episode, showcasing the next cast, but Cecily Strong was noticeably absent.
However, until October 23rd, Strong will be seen as the lead in the play The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, which was co-produced by Lorne Michaels of Saturday Night Live.
Soon after that, Strong will return for her eleventh season unless she specifically states otherwise. So, for the time being, supporters shouldn’t fret over her possible disappearance.
A number of cast members, including Kate McKinnon, Pete Davidson, Aidy Bryant, and Kyle Mooney, said their final goodbyes on the 47th season finale of Saturday Night Live. Other cast members, such as Melissa Villasenor, Alex Moffat, Aristotle Athari, and Chris Redd, left in the months preceding the premiere of the new seasons.
Marcello Hernandez, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow, and Devon Walker, all of whom have been announced as major players for the forthcoming season, will use this upcoming season as a proving ground.
They have been spotted in a number of the sketches and even the Weekend Update segment during the premiere, and they are featured in the new opening titles. However, until she makes a full recovery, Cecily Strong is not included in cast totals at this time.