With his cast depleted of some of its most talented and most loved performers of recent vintage, Lorne Michaels had an exceptionally busy summer vacation from “Saturday Night Live,” the show he created and still produces.

Mr. Michaels — after the departure of Fred Armisen, Bill Hader and Jason Sudeikis — is overseeing one of the biggest “SNL” overhauls in its almost four-decade history. That refitting includes not only the addition of six cast members but also a revamp of the show’s enduring, signature segment, “Weekend Update.”

The popular incumbent anchor, Seth Meyers, is making his own exit in February to spend four nights a week hosting the “Late Night” show on NBC (for which Mr. Michaels is also the executive producer). So a question looming over the new season has been: Who will replace Mr. Meyers and inherit the chair that has provided an almost guaranteed ride to the next level of stardom? (Other recent occupants: Amy Poehler, Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon.)

In an interview in his longtime office at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, Mr. Michaels revealed his plan for the segment’s future: Starting with the “SNL” season premiere on Sept. 28, Mr. Meyers will be joined at the “Update” desk by Cecily Strong, who emerged as a rising star last year, her first season on the show.