4 Grey’s Anatomy characters who probably won’t be back for season 20

As we look ahead to the upcoming 20th season of Grey’s Anatomy, there are a lot of unknowns. We don’t yet know when the season will premiere. It’s unclear how many episodes the season will consist of. And there’s no telling what storylines will be explored with a condensed season to tell them in. What we do know is that most of the cast will be returning for the show’s upcoming season!

Ahead of the season 19 finale earlier this year, word broke that ABC had inked new deals with several members of the cast which ensured there would be little cast turnover in season 20. Among those who signed new deals were Camilla Luddington (Jo), Kevin McKidd (Owen), James Pickens Jr. (Richard), Kim Raver (Teddy), Caterina Scorsone (Amelia), and Chandra Wilson (Bailey).

It’s also expected that Jake Borelli (Schmitt), Chris Carmack (Link), Alexis Floyd (Simone), Midori Francis (Yasuda), Anthony Hill (Winston), Adelaide Kane (Jules), Harry Shum Jr (Blue), and Niko Terho (Lucas) will all be returning to round out the show’s core cast.

While Grey’s Anatomy season 20 is expected to bring back many of the show’s beloved characters, there is a strong chance we’re probably not going to see these four characters.

Will Meredith be in Grey’s Anatomy season 20?

Heading into the upcoming season of Grey’s Anatomy, there is no bigger question mark than the status of Ellen Pompeo and whether she’ll be returning for season 20. While we’re expecting Pompeo to remain involved with the show and to continue to provide the opening and closing monologues for episodes, we’re thinking there is probably a really good chance we won’t be seeing Meredith on-screen.

As fans will recall, Pomoeo took a step back from the show in season 19 with Meredith only appearing in a small handful of episodes. Meredith’s move to Boston to take a job with the Catherine Fox Foundation was dictated by Pompeo’s desire to step away from the show in order to explore other career ventures including a new Hulu series which she’ll star in and produce.

While Pompeo has been very open to the idea of returning for additional appearances, there has been no confirmation that she’ll return for season 20. While we probably won’t be seeing much of Meredith, we do have a hope that Pompeo will return for at least an episode or two next season. After all, how can you celebrate a 20th season without the star who has carried the show on her back for 19 seasons?

Will Nick be in Grey’s Anatomy season 20?

Outside of Ellen Pompeo’s return status, the other biggest question mark on the Grey’s Anatomy season 20 cast list is Scott Speedman. This is because, unlike the majority of the season 19 cast, Speedman’s status on the show has not been confirmed which means there is a possibility we might not see him back for season 20.

As fans will recall, in the season 19 finale, Nick was reunited with Meredith in Boston where he professed his love for her and told her he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. This seemed to suggest that Nick is going to go all-in on his relationship with Meredith and that a move to Boston was imminent for Nick.

Given we’re not expecting to see Pompeo back as Meredith in some or any episodes given her future on the show is uncertain, it would seem likely that if Nick has moved to Boston to be with Meredith that we might not be seeing him in season 20.

Now, that’s not to say Nick might not pop up in an episode or two since he’s played such a key role in the new internship program and has become a vital part of the Grey Sloan Memorial team. It just seems like he probably won’t be a key part of season 20 given the shorter season coming our way.

Will Maggie be in Grey’s Anatomy season 20?

Although Kelly McCreary has left the door open for a possible return as Maggie Pierce in future seasons of the show, it seems highly likely we won’t be seeing Maggie back in season 20. After nine seasons of playing Maggie on Grey’s Anatomy, McCreary announced her departure from the show last season with her final episode coming in the season 19 finale.

In season 19, Maggie decided to leave Grey Sloan Memorial in order to accept a job at the Heart Center of Chicago. Following her exit in episode 13, Maggie returned in the finale to accompany Winston, Nick, Bailey, Amelia, Richard, and Catherine to the Catherine Fox Awards.

While Winston and Maggie didn’t take home the award, they did have a sweet reunion that seemed to hint they might try a long-distance marriage. Of course, with Winston set to return for season 20 it’s likely we’ll get updates on Maggie through him, even if just one-off updates as we’ve seen with other characters such as how the show used texts to keep Cristina’s presence alive on the show following her exit.

Will Jackson be in Grey’s Anatomy season 20?

If there is one character we’re probably not going to see in Grey’s Anatomy season 20 it’s Jackson Avery.

Since his exit in season 17, Jesse Williams has been great at returning to give fans updates on his beloved character with appearances in season 18 and season 19. His most recent return in season 19, saw him lure Meredith away from Grey Sloan to come to work alongside him in Boston at the Catherine Fox Foundation where he’s been making major strides.

Given Williams has made a guest appearance in both seasons since his exit, there is a chance he could surprise fans with another cameo in season 20. However, the one thing that could make a return difficult is the fact that we’re looking at one of the shortest seasons of Grey’s ever which means there might not be as much room for guest appearances.