Pete Davidson says he would return to Saturday Night Live if asked by longtime executive producer Lorne Michaels, calling the showrunner a formative mentor and saying he’d “do anything for him.” The comedian, who joined SNL at 20 and exited in 2022, told People he’d jump back “in a heartbeat” and described hosting again as an honor.
In the hours around those remarks, he popped up at Studio 8H for a surprise appearance, poking fun at the never-ending speculation over who might eventually succeed Michaels and joking that “the time has come and Tina Fey is ready,” a line that nodded to chatter without confirming anything about the future.
Davidson’s openness arrives as SNL moves into a post-50th-anniversary stretch that is already in flux. Michaels has signaled that cast changes are coming for season 51 after keeping the ensemble largely intact for the celebration year, and several departures have since been confirmed. The producer has also batted away retirement timelines throughout 2025, even as alumni and late-night veterans weigh in on succession scenarios. In June, Seth Meyers suggested on a podcast that Michaels already knows who should take over when the day comes, though that person may not know it yet.
Against that backdrop, Davidson’s comments read as both loyalty and practicality. He framed any return as contingent on a call from Michaels, praising the show’s continuing cultural heat and the current cast. His quick cameo the same weekend reinforced how fluid the line can be between former players and the present lineup, especially during a reshuffle. While there’s no indication of a permanent comeback, the door he left open underscores SNL’s enduring pull on alumni who built careers there and maintain close ties to its chief architect.
