‘SNL’ unveils killer host lineup ... but Lorne Michaels hints at a grim future

It’s Friday. It’s a new edition of Popculturology. This week, we have Netflix possibly taking Hot Ones live, a leadership shakeup over at Walt Disney Animation Studios and a fun trailer for Robert Pattinson and director Bong Joon-ho’s Mickey 17.

But first, some very concerning news when it comes to SNL’s fiftieth season ...

SNL Season 50 sets first wave of hosts

SNL’s announcement this week of the first five hosts for the show’s milestone fiftieth season should have been a moment of celebration. It’s a fantastic mix of hosts.

Hacks Emmy winner Jean Smart will kick off Season 50 on Sept. 28. From there, we’ll get four returning hosts: Nate Bargatze and Ariana Grande returning for their second times on Oct. 5 and Oct. 12, respectively, Michael Keaton returning for his third time and John Mulaney notching his sixth SNL hosting gig.

Once again, fantastic opening lineup here. Actors, comedians, musicians. With the exception of Smart, four people with SNL hosting experience. (I have no doubt Smart will nail it, though.)

But then an interview with Lorne Michaels, Colin Jost and Michael Che was published by The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday — and it hints at some bizarre and shocking developments for Season 50.

If you’ve read Popculturology or followed my tweets about SNL, you know that I’m firmly against celebrity cameos taking over the show. It’s lazy and pushes out the actual cast. After a few years of taking a break from celebrity cameos, it looks like Michaels is ready to double down on that version of SNL.

“I want to celebrate this season with people coming back who’ve been part of the show and who love the show — not so much as hosts but just making appearances, and so the election is a chance for that because that’s five or six shows,” Michaels told THR. “So, Maya and some others coming back for the election will be fun for everybody. And, at the same time, there will be new people emerging, a different generation.”

OK, so we should expect a bunch of cameos. And Maya Rudolph is coming back to portray Kamala Harris. Not great, but at least SNL has James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump. Right, Lorne?

“I think James will be there, but I don’t want to get into what I’m doing,” Michaels told THR when asked about Johnson still playing Trump.

What. WHAT?

“James, who I think is brilliant, played Trump as the sort of diminished Trump. The guy at the back of the hardware store holding court, and that played because it felt relevant. But we are going to have to reinvent it again because, well, you saw the debate,” Michaels continued. “One of the great parts of show business is that you can’t come back with the same show. So, all of these characters have to be reexamined ...”

Welp, my mind is blown here.