Survivor 50: The 15 Biggest Cast Snubs

In May, CBS announced the cast for Survivor's historic 50th season, set to debut in February 2026. So far, reactions have been mixed; everybody has their own idea of which players would make the perfect ensemble, but most fans can agree that there are some perplexing choices on the list, especially the inclusion of three players from the most recent season and two from the upcoming Survivor 49. And broadly speaking, there's a disproportionate number of players from the recent New Era, which consists of all the seasons since 40.

One day Survivor will inevitably air a New Era All-Stars and maybe a Second Chance 2, both perfect venues for the return of promising recent players — like Frannie Marin, Kaleb Gebrewold, and Andy Rueda, to name a few, but also the Cydney Gillons and Davie Rickenbackers of the 30s seasons who never got another shot. In this snubs list, though, I wanted to focus on the serious omissions. Whether these 15 players dropped out of the casting process for 50 or (in the vast majority of cases) were cut or left out entirely, they all deserved a place on this important season.

Seasons: Borneo (1), All-Stars (8)
Placed: 1st, 14th

It makes sense why Survivor wouldn't want to cast Richard Hatch; after all, he was already denied a spot on the all-winners season, likely a result of controversies ranging from his infamous encounter with Sue Hawk on All-Stars to a prison stay for tax evasion. But it's hard to escape the feeling that the first-ever Sole Survivor deserves a place, if only to bring the series full circle. I mean, this is the guy who invented alliances and became known as reality TV's first true villain. And he's back on TV already, competing alongside other icons on House of Villains and promising "other shows to come."

Seasons: The Australian Outback (2)
Placed: 4th

This would've been a really big get. Some viewers object to the idea of casting Hasselbeck (née Filarski) on political grounds — she spent a decade on The View as the resident conservative before joining Fox & Friends for a couple years — but that's exactly why it'd be fascinating to see her play again, transformed from the 23-year-old footwear designer we once knew. Imagine seeing her starving on an island again, owning her celebrity status and interacting with players like Mike White and Angelina Keeley. I suppose it was always a long shot, but damn, wouldn't it have been wild?

Seasons: The Australian Outback (2), All-Stars (8), Heroes vs. Villains (20)
Placed: 8th, 10th, 4th 

Across three seasons, Jerri Manthey had one of Survivor's most satisfying arcs, starting as the show's original villainess (though that label never totally made sense) and upping her social game each subsequent time. A big part of that story was told through her complex, ever-evolving relationship with her on-and-off rival Colby Donaldson, who played in all three of her seasons. So it's downright maddening that he's out there filming 50 right now while Manthey is at home, cut from the final cast. (And with Coach out there, we could've seen the Black Widow reunite with the Dragon Slayer!) That iconic blue bikini belonged on Fiji, damn it.

Seasons: Marquesas (4)
Placed: 5th

Always one of the most perplexing omissions from the early returning-players seasons, Rector was a highlight of Marquesas for both his gameplay and especially his sense of humor — along with his open conversations with his friend and ally Vecepia Towery about racial bias and their shared Christian faith. A spot on Survivor 50 would be righting one of the show's wrongs (and I wouldn't mind seeing the perennially ignored Towery, either).

Seasons: The Amazon (6), All-Stars (8)
Placed: 3rd, 15th

On The Amazon, Cesternino pioneered an influential new way of playing the game: flip-flopping continuously between alliances. In a way, it was the next logical evolution of Survivor strategy after Hatch's groundbreaking alliance invention — which made it all the more unsatisfying to watch him fall short just before the end and drop so early into his one follow-up season. Here's why Cesternino would be a particularly fascinating returnee on 50, though, and why his cut is especially disappointing: He's now famous for the Survivor podcast empire Rob Has a Podcast, and thus has guaranteed connections with more people on the cast than any other player. Would that ultimately help or hinder him? It would've been fun to find out.

Seasons: Cook Islands (13), Micronesia (16), Philippines (25)
Placed: 7th, 15th, 7th

This might be the most infuriating omission on this list, because we know Penner was disappointed to be cut — and at 63 years old, his number of available opportunities to play again could be dwindling. (Just throw him and Jerri onto 51! It'll be fine!) A personal favorite of mine, Penner is his own unique type: sometimes self-righteous and superior, often charming and surprisingly warm, but always dynamic on screen.

Seasons: China (15), Micronesia (16), Heroes vs. Villains (20)
Placed: 3rd, 2nd, 9th 

This two-time finalist played three times in a relatively short time period, so it's difficult to know how she would play a decade and a half later — and I'm very intrigued to find out, especially given her long time away from the Survivor community. Especially on her first two seasons, Kimmel was a cunning, athletic player with an eye for choosing the correct alliances. But she lost at Final Tribal Council twice by taking those impressive allies (Todd Herzog, Parvati Shallow) to the end and failing to own her cutthroat game. Why not stick Kimmel out there again to reunite with her ex (and old showmance partner) Ozzy Lusth? If it came down to the two of them, I know which I'd rather see back.

Seasons: Micronesia (16)
Placed: 4th

Look, Bolton wasn't a huge part of her one season; she started on the mostly-starless Fans tribe, under-edited compared to Favorites like Shallow, Kimmel, and Cirie Fields. But she came alive late in the post-merge after joining Alexis Jones and the three aforementioned women to form the all-female Black Widow Brigade alliance, playing a crucial role in convincing fellow Fan Erik Reichenbach to relinquish his immunity necklace at tribal council. It's a legendary move (followed up with a legendary question at Final Tribal Council), and Bolton deserves a chance to build on that legacy.

Seasons: Nicaragua (21)
Placed: 9th 

The 50 cast doesn't feature a single player who first played between season 19 and 30, so casting this wild card would provide some much-needed 20s representation. Unfortunately, despite Mixon's stated interest in competing again, the circumstances of her exit make a call from CBS unlikely: She was part of a historic double-quit alongside "Purple Kelly" Shinn on day 28 of Nicaragua, leading the show to permanently change the rules on quitters' jury rights. (Talk about a real Game Changer!) All the more reason to offer Mixon a chance to redeem herself — and to set the record straight on her capability as a competitor, not to mention her aptitude for all-time funny confessionals and spicy confrontations.

Seasons: Philippines (25), Cambodia (31)
Placed: 5th, 7th 

Gomes is, by all accounts, a sweet and self-aware person off the show. On the show, she can be a bit of a nightmare, driving her tribemates up a wall with her unpredictable, vindictive, and sometimes actively annoying gameplay. But that's what makes her a great reality TV villain. Like the other two women from the 20s seasons on this list, she'd be a shot of pure energy on the 50 cast, bringing a level of savagery that you don't see much these days on Survivor.

Seasons: Cagayan (28), Cambodia (31)
Placed: 3rd, 13th

When you're looking to cast some all-time chaotic players, why not go for somebody best known as "Chaos Kass"? The sarcastic, blunt attorney from the Brains tribe made a few allies but mostly enemies across her two seasons, including winner Tony Vlachos, Spencer Reiman Bledsoe, and Andrew Savage. Unfortunately, McQuillen isn't much on production's radar these days, likely as a result of her frequent and open criticism of the show and executive producer/host Jeff Probst. Their loss — Fiji could use some of her realness.

Seasons: 41
Placed: 8th

Smith was the biggest threat of Survivor 41, a charismatic "mafia pastor" who ruled much of the season alongside her friend and ally Ricard Foyé. Production even scored a tune to accompany the evil theme she sang while plotting her machinations. While she may not be as fresh in viewers' minds as more recent characters, Smith is easily one of the most compelling antiheroes to come out of the New Era, which makes her omission here confusing.

Seasons: 42
Placed: 6th

One of my top winner picks for that theoretical New Era All-Stars season, Zaheer is one of the most unassuming and sneaky manipulators in recent memory. The veterinarian was the puppet master behind several big votes on 42, where he successfully hid in the shadows and disguised his moves with a friendly, disarming social game. It could've been fun to see him tweak that under-the-radar gameplay on 50, where he might have played a similar role to Charlie Davis or Kamilla Karthigesu, hiding behind the larger-than-life personalities surrounding him.

Seasons: 43
Placed: 4th

A New Era hero and fan favorite, Lopez's exclusion on 50 is another surprising missed opportunity. He won a million hearts on 43, first with his backstory — he spent his teen years in a gang and went to juvie before getting his GED and later receiving a Ph.D. from Duke — and eventually with his heartbreaking exit during the final four fire-making challenge. Lopez strategized circles around the rest of his castmates during his first go, but it'd be fun to see him up against some tougher opponents.

Seasons: 44
Placed: 3rd

But if anybody from the New Era should've been a shoo-in for 50, it's Wiger, the biggest star of the 40s seasons. She's just great TV, a cunning and perceptive player who feels quirky and compellingly emotional in a way that recalls old-school Survivor casting. We saw that during her time as a loyal but not uncritical member of the underdog Tika 3 alliance, where she consistently spoke her mind and yet turned her emotions into an asset instead of a liability. Plus she's fresh off a central role on the last season of The Traitors, which introduced her to a whole new viewership — though, to possessive Probst, that might be one reason not to cast her.