Saturday evening live has found its political candidates for 2024.

As the NBC sketch comedy show begins its 50th season, creator and long-running maestro Lorne Michaels has chosen his new crop of DC power players, including Kamala Harris (Maya Rudolph), Tim Walz (Jim Gaffigan), Joe Biden (Dana Carvey) and Douglas Emhoff (Andy Samberg). SNL cast members James Austin Johnson and Bowen Yang will play Donald Trump and JD Vance, respectively.

All of the actors were revealed Saturday night during the cold open of the season 50 premiere.

In a recent one Hollywood reporter cover story, Michaels had teased the fact SNLThe Trump impression would have to be reinvented — just as it was when cast member James Austin Johnson took over for friend-of-the-show Alec Baldwin. “James, who I think is brilliant, played Trump as the kind of diminished Trump. The guy in the back of the hardware store who held court, and who played because it felt relevant,” Michaels said. “But we’re going to have to reinvent it, because you’ve seen the debate.”

It was previously announced that Rudolph would return as Harris, which she has played for several years, partly because of the former SNL cast member does a great Harris impression and partly because, as she shared THR in 2022: “they know that when they call, I will be there.” More recently, Michaels said he never even considered anyone else for the role when Harris declared his candidacy this summer, though it did require some scheduling gymnastics to keep Rudolph in the role. The LA-based mother of four had to postpone the start date of production on her Apple TV+ series, among other things Loot.

Almost immediately after Walz was named as Harris’ VP choice, the internet tried to cast lookalike Steve Martin in the role. As Weekend Update co-host Colin Jost noted, that’s just what’s happening now. “As soon as there is news of Kamala’s participation, America starts debating who will play her SNL”, he said THR. “Before we even have a conversation about it, there’s a list of 10 people who should play Tim Walz.”

And sometimes the internet even has good ideas. After all, Michaels called his old friend. But as Martin said The Los Angeles Times“I wanted to say no, and besides (Lorne) wanted me to say no.” Michaels confirmed that last part and was telling THR: “It’s not what he does. But there are a lot of things he does that you’ll see. (Michaels plans to bring back as many former hosts and cast members as possible as the show celebrates its 50th season.)

Sure, bringing in people to play politicians during an all-important election year – like SNL previously did with the likes of Baldwin and Jim Carrey (who once played Joe Biden) – doesn’t always sit well with current cast members. “If you’re someone in the cast who says, ‘I have a better impression than that person coming in,’ it’s probably frustrating,” Jost acknowledged, “but it’s kind of the reality of our show.”