Grey’s Anatomy Season 22 confirmed: Premiere timeline, cast speculations, and more

Grey's Anatomy isn't hanging up its scrubs any time soon. ABC has officially renewed the veteran medical drama for season 22—and yes, it's still going strong after nearly two decades on the air. The April 2025 renewal confirms that Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital still has plenty more stories to tell. Even after 21 seasons, the show remains one of ABC's biggest properties.

While the series has evolved far beyond its original concept, it still delivers messy characters, complicated relationships, and cringe-worthy surgeries. With season 22 coming up, fans can expect more of the same—and a little more.

When will Grey's Anatomy season 22 be released?

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Grey's Anatomy season 22 release date ABC has provided no official release date as of now, but based on historical patterns, Season 22 can be expected to be released around fall 2025. Historically, the previous seasons have been released between late September and early October. Season 21, for example, dropped its first episode on September 26, 2024.

Thus, the same can be safely assumed in this case. The number of episodes is also returning to its natural order. After the shortened Season 21—due to industry strikes—Season 22 will be around 18 episodes, like it was before delays became an issue.

Which cast members could be returning in Grey's Anatomy season 22?

Some of the older familiar faces will likely resurface. James Pickens Jr. (Dr. Richard Webber) and Chandra Wilson (Dr. Miranda Bailey) are hanging in there and soldiering on. Ellen Pompeo (Meredith Grey), although no longer a series regular, will certainly have a guest spot, just like she has been doing since Season 19.

The rest of the main cast will likely include Jo (Camilla Luddington), Owen (Kevin McKidd), Amelia (Caterina Scorsone), Teddy (Kim Raver), and Link (Chris Carmack). And then there are the new ones: Simone (Alexis Floyd), Lucas (Niko Terho), Jules (Adelaide Kane), and Blue (Harry Shum Jr.). Their storylines are expected to continue into Season 22.

Who's not returning for Grey's Anatomy season 22?

Season 21 bid farewell to some actors. Jake Borelli, the actor who played Dr. Levi Schmitt, left in Episode 7 ("If You Leave"), and Midori Francis (Dr. Mika Yasuda) left before the end of the season as well. Neither has commented on whether or not they'll return yet, and since their story arcs appeared to be wrapped up, they’re likely out—at least for now.

No new cast members have been announced yet, but Grey's Anatomy likes to surprise us with some new doctors or interns when we least expect it. So it won't surprise me if we can see some new faces next season.

Who's running the show?

Meg Marinis will remain showrunner for Season 22. She has been with the show since Season 3 and stepped into the showrunner role starting in Season 20. Her time so far has remained fairly business-as-usual with the show's usual formula: sob-story cases, personal melodramas, and emotional cliffhangers.

With Marinis at the helm of the ship, audiences will not likely be suddenly exposed to a shift in tone or style. Instead, they'll experience more of the same rich character growth and medical soap the program is famous for.

Where can you stream Grey's Anatomy season 22

Grey's Anatomy season 22 will broadcast on ABC and be available the next day on Hulu. Depending on your location, episodes will also be available on Disney+ after they air on ABC.