We might not know which Grey’s Anatomy characters will be coming back for season 22 following the show’s explosive season finale. But there is one thing we do know about the next season of ABC’s hit medical drama: we won’t be seeing a wave of new faces entering the halls of Grey Sloan.
As season 21 came to a close, Grey Sloan was preparing for the introduction of a new intern class with the show’s current class preparing to become second years. Given the focus on the new interns’ arrival, it seemed that we might be seeing another influx of new faces coming our way in season 22; however, that will not be the case.
While the show is planning on bringing on some guest characters next season, including faces from the new intern class, Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Meg Marinis has hinted that there are no plans to add a group of major new characters. The reason? Well, it’s simple, the show’s ensemble is already big enough.
“I have a big enough cast as it is! Will maybe will have people who guest a couple times. But no, we have plenty of people that we’re very happy with,” Marinis revealed when asked by The Hollywood Reporter about the prospect of casting a new class of interns for season 22.
Honestly, we have to agree with Marinis in this case. While we love seeing fresh faces enter the mix, the Grey’s Anatomy cast is quite a large ensemble already, and we’d rather the focus remain on the current series regulars. Still, that doesn’t mean there won’t be new additions to the next season; in fact, one has already been confirmed.
Marinis confirmed to Deadline that we will see Trevor Jackson back for season 22, which makes sense given the finale revealed he’s part of the new intern class. His return is sure to create some fun drama for Simone and Lucas, and what’s Grey’s Anatomy without a little drama and a good love triangle?!
We’re also expecting to see some new characters enter the picture via guest spots, as Grey’s has always been known for bringing new, fresh faces for some fun multi-episode guest spots. Just this season, we saw the amazing Sophia Bush and Piper Perabo for guest spots that played key roles in the season and journeys for our series regulars. This has always been something Grey’s Anatomy has done well, and you never know when a guest star will win fans over so much that they secure a larger role in the season.
Still, we do have a short wish list when it comes to boxes we’d like to see new faces check off to help fill some of the voids recent departures have brought. Namely, we’re hoping to see the LGBTQ+ community grow once more on the show as we’ve seen far too many of the show’s incredible LGBTQ+ characters exit the show, most recently with the departure of Jake Borelli’s Dr. Levi Schmitt. Grey’s has always been at the forefront of celebrating diverse storytelling, so we have faith the writers will continue to do so and are definitely hoping we’ll see a few new LGBTQ+ characters enter the mix in season 22!
