Kenan Thompson Says It 'Might Not Be a Bad Idea' to End SNL After Season 50: 'I Need to Start Planning'

Kenan Thompson is starting to think about the possibility of life after Saturday Night Live.

In December, creator and producer Lorne Michaels, 77, said he's "committed to doing the show until its 50th anniversary." This week, the 44-year-old SNL star about speculation that Michaels' retirement might signal the end of the long-running sketch show.

"Is that the rumor?" Thompson asked host Charlamagne tha God during an appearance on Comedy Central's Hell of a Week. "All right, well, I need to start planning."

He noted, "There could be a lot of validity to that rumor, because 50 is a good number to stop at, you know what I'm saying? That's an incredible package. He will be, probably, close to 80 years old at that point, and you know, he's the one who's had his touch on the whole thing."

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Discussing the possible future of the show without Michaels, Thompson said, "So, if somebody tries to come into his shoes … you know it's a good opportunity for NBC to save money, as well, you know what I'm saying? So they might slash the budget and then at that point, you can't really do the same kind of show."

Added Thompson, who's the show's longest-running star: "So that's unfair to watch it just really go down kind of in flames, like, for real for real, because of those restrictions. So capping it at 50 might not be a bad idea, I don't know."

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SNL's 50th season is set to premiere in 2024 and wrap in 2025.

Speaking with CBS Mornings in December, Michaels said, "Well, I think I'm committed to doing the show until its 50th anniversary, which is in three years. I'd like to see that through. And I feel like that would be a really good time to leave."

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The Kennedy Center honoree said "of course" the show could exist without him, and he said he has "a sense of where we're headed." Although he didn't mention any names for a possible replacement, he did say he has ideas for who could take over for him after his retirement.

Michaels added, "Here's the point: I won't want the show ever to be bad. I care too deeply about it, it's been my life's work. So, I'm going to do everything I can to see it carry on and carry on well."

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Michaels created SNL in 1975. Over the decades, SNL has gone on to produce a number of iconic TV moments while launching the careers of several comedians who were cast members.