Only Murders in The Building is entering its fifth season and with it comes a whole new cast of A-listers. The show is known for its welcoming star-studded guests and the upcoming season is no different.
Mabel (Selena Gomez), Charles (Steve Martin), and Oliver (Martin Short) return as the murder investigating trio as they look into the suspicious death of their longtime doorman, Lester. At the end of season four, Lester was found dead in the courtyard's fountain.
Lester's death was ruled an accident, even though it occurred in "the most murderous building in New York."
A synopsis of the fifth season reads: "Their investigation plunges them into the shadowy corners of New York and beyond – where the trio uncovers a dangerous web of secrets connecting powerful billionaires, old-school mobsters, and the mysterious residents of the Arconia."
The producer and head writer of Only Murders in The Building, John Hoffmann, explained to Deadline that they are "going straight into a New York story that's happening very much currently."
He continued: "We're pulling from the headlines to ask very specific questions about the balance of power in New York and who has that power [and] the shifting power dynamics of the country. And what's really fun about it, the comedic side of it, is that the history of power in New York is pretty colorful, with the old mob and the new mob mixing in. What do those two look like, and how do they sit on either side, with our trio in the center of it?"
This story will be told by a slew of new cast members. In previous seasons, Paul Rudd, Jane Lynch, Amy Ryan, Tina Fey, and Eva Longoria have guest starred.
In season five, there are a few returning characters – Meryl Streep as Loretta, Da'Vine Joy Randolph as Detective Williams, Nathan Lane as Teddy Dimas, and Richard Kind as Vince Fish. New guest stars who will tackle the death of Lester include Renée Zellweger, Logan Lerman, Bobby Cannavale, Keegan-Michael Key, and Beanie Feldstein.
Selena, Martin, and Steve all have a say on who will join the cast.
"If [Selena or Steve] suggested someone that I either personally hated or professionally hated, that vote would go a long way," Martin told Deadline. "It wouldn't work."
Only Murders is a big success
Only Murders in The Building is one of Hulu's most successful shows. Its fourth season was nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series at the 2025 Emmys. Martin is also nominated for his work in the season.
Selena shared her admiration of her co-star to her 418 million Instagram followers when she captioned an Instagram story of a billboard in West Hollywood advertising Martin's nomination: "So happy for my Marty!!"
Martin has been nominated for 20 Emmys, eight of them for his work as Oliver on Only Murders.
"I've always been drawn toward any character that has a bravado that's clearly masking insecurity," he told Deadline. "With Oliver, when he tells those stories about all these celebrities he knows, are they really true?"