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Saturday Night Live is preparing to air its season 51 finale next month, with two powerhouse celebrity guests whose casting has fuelled speculation that their monumental pairing could signal a swansong for creator Lorne Michaels.
Former SNL castmate Will Ferrell, 58, will serve as guest host of the May 16 episode, alongside former The Beatles star Paul McCartney, 83, as the evening’s musical guest.
While the Step Brothers actor has returned to host the series multiple times since his 2002 departure, and McCartney has made several appearances of his own, their joint appearance has reignited rumors of Michaels’ possible retirement from the show.
“Everyone is talking about cast departures for SNL and yet, it’s actually Lorne Michaels leaving lol,” one viewer suggested on X, with a second responding: “Will Ferrell and Paul McCartney does kind of feel like giving a dog a steak before putting it down.”
In a separate discussion thread on Reddit, one fan described the pairing as “the Holy Grail if you will. The Finale.” Others, however, disagreed, with one arguing that Steve Martin and Paul Simon would make the ultimate send-off for Michaels.
Will Ferrell (left) and Paul McCartney (right) have been tapped to close out ‘Saturday Night Live’ season 51 (Getty)
Many felt similarly about Simon of the duo Simon & Garfunkel. “I would think Paul Simon would be the final Lorne show musical guest,” a second agreed.
Another, however, made the case for Tina Fey as Michaels’ final guest host. “I would think so if you replaced Will Ferrell with Tina Fey,” they said.
“Lorne will never retire,” another insisted, followed by one quipping: “Retire to what? His blueberry farm? If he wanted to retire, he would have done so already.”
The Independent has contacted SNL for comment.
Lorne Michaels has been the driving force behind ‘SNL’ since creating it in 1975, aside from a brief hiatus in the early 1980s (Getty)
Michaels, 81, has been the creative force behind the late-night sketch comedy series since its 1975 creation, aside from a brief hiatus in the 1980s.
Retirement rumors surrounding Michaels are nothing new. Each year, fans speculate that the producer will step down and pass the torch to one of his favorite performers, such as Tina Fey or Seth Meyers.
Still, he has maintained for years that he has no plans to retire.
“I’m going to do it as long as I feel I can do it,” he declared in a 2024 interview with The New York Times.
Next Friday, a new documentary about Michaels will be released. Directed by Morgan Neville, Lorne will paint an intimate portrait of the comedian, featuring sit-down interviews with several former SNL stars, including Fey, Maya Rudolph, John Mulaney, Andy Samberg, Conan O’Brien, Chris Rock and more.
New episodes of Saturday Night Live air Saturdays at 11:30 p.m., with the season 51 finale premiering May 16.