‘Survivor 50’ Is An All-Stars Season…This Is Who We Want To See Return

With Survivor 48 underway, the show’s milestone season is approaching faster than we realized.

Throughout the 48th season, host Jeff Probst is asking fans to vote on various elements of how the producers will craft the show’s 50th season, which will propel Survivor’s legacy as the American reality competition with the most seasons. 

Survivor has “outlasted” most other television programs, and in doing so, it’s built up an army of potential returning players. Survivor 50 will be the first returnee season since Survivor 40: Winners at War, in which all the players who returned had previously won the game. How could we possibly beat that? There are plenty of potential themes, such as “Best to Never Win” or “Second Chances” that could dictate who the returnees are, but we just want the best of the best. So here’s our dream cast for Survivor 50.

Christian Hubicki (David vs. Goliath)

A fan-favorite, it’s a shame Christian has not yet returned, and likely just because he hasn’t had the opportunity. He’s a regular on the RHAP podcast network with his scientific and numeric expertise after he made a name for himself by solving a slide puzzle in record time in the David vs. Goliath premiere.

Elaine Stott (Island of the Idols)

Another favorite player who suffered from lack of opportunity to return, Elaine likely would have won her season had she not played her idol one Tribal Council too early. A social, strategic, and physical player, Elaine made waves through her humor, optimism, and her rough and raw exterior.

Rupert Boneham (Pearl Islands)

Like Elaine, Rupert has the rough edges and soft exterior that make him one of the best Survivor players in history. He first appeared in the show’s seventh season, and returned three more times, but never won. He always lacked a bit of the strategic gameplay, but with his social lovability and impressive challenge performances, we are begging for a Rupert return.

Jesse Lopez (Survivor 43)

While several New Era Survivor players have made their footprint in the game’s history, Jesse will go down as executing one of the most brutal plays to get to the end by betraying his number one ally. Jesse’s hunger to win, social and strategic adaptability, and his backstory make him an easy New Era favorite for Survivor 50.

Carolyn Wiger (Survivor 44)

Aside from winner Yam Yam, Carolyn made waves on Survivor 44 with her goofy and authentic personality. However, she was severely underestimated when she made it to the Final Tribal Council and misjudged what her argument should be. She continued to show her emotion, but the viewers at home saw how she played a highly strategic game masked by emotion. 

Domenick Abbate (Ghost Island)

A Survivor runner-up, Dom played one of the most dominant games (no pun intended) in Survivor history, leading to the only tie breaker vote for the winner. He won three individual immunity challenges in addition to playing a strong strategic game and we’re ready to see him win some more.

Brice Johnston (Cagayan)

Survivor: Cagayan has already produced several returning players, most notably, two-time winner Tony Vlachos. But the days of overlooking Brice are long gone. He podcasts regularly with the RHAP team, appears frequently at Survivor fan events, and now he could become a returning player with his larger-than-life personality.

Cydney Gillon (Kaôh Rōng)

Cydney made waves on Survivor: Kaôh Rōng as one of the physically strongest women to play the game. But it’s her feminism that endeared fans to her. She founded the Dara Women’s Alliance, one of the more successful women’s alliances, and partnered with another favorite in Aubrey Bracco to get to the Final Four. Her resilience and strategic mind make her a must for a comeback.

Ricard Foyé (Survivor 41)

While the New Era faced its challenges with its first season in Survivor 41, Ricard Foyé and his number one ally, Shan Smith, made waves. Their alliance, however, was cut short when Ricard knew he had to cut her before she cut him. This made him an icon as one of the New Era’s most exciting and entertaining players from the get-go.

Cirie Fields (Panama)

Cirie has played Survivor five times (four in the US and once in Australia), and has been called the best player to never win by several fans and pundits. From inspirational moments to unforgettable gameplay, her adaptability has led her far into the game every single season she’s played. It’s time for a Cirie win and we can’t imagine Survivor 50 without her.

Charlie Davis (Survivor 46)

While fans were happy with Kenzie Petty’s Survivor 46 win, we still felt like Charlie was overlooked. Between Maria giving Kenzie her vote to win instead of Charlie, and Q’s question about how contestants will spend the prize money, fans felt that Charlie also deserved a win. Plus, his narration of the game was one of the best in years, making him Jeff’s pick for the official Survivor recap podcast. Hopefully, we’ll hear Charlie again … but this time on Season 50.

Cassidy Clark (Survivor 43)

Another New Era runner-up, Cassidy’s loss enraged fans throughout the internet. Her understated gameplay and poor jury management led to her loss to Gabler, but with a different group of players and perhaps a less bitter jury, she may have had different luck. 

Rob Cesternino (Amazon)

We’ve already mentioned the RHAP podcast and it all goes back to Rob Cesternino, who actually applied to be on Big Brother instead of Survivor. But when he was placed on an island in 2002 with a boys versus girls theme, Rob was arguably the most strategic player. But it’s his humor and charisma that led to a decades-long career podcasting about Survivor. He’s interviewed more players than anyone and analyzed almost every single episode of the show. We’d love to see the master back at work.

Ozzy Lusth (Cook Islands)

Ozzy broke records in his first season of Survivor and continued to do so in his following three seasons. Although he’s since gone on to work in some adult genres, we’d love to see him back on the island. A bit more mature with some more life experience, Ozzy could come back with more wins and more explosive gameplay than ever.

Evvie Jagoda (Survivor 41)

Another New Era icon, Evvie made history as the first out non-binary player on Survivor. Their analysis of the game and bad luck in a tribe swap would make them an apt returnee for Survivor 50, and could make them the first non-binary winner of Survivor.

Angelina Keeley (David vs. Goliath)

While Christian started the game as a David, Angelina began as a Goliath. Eventually, their paths crossed in the merge and Angelina made history by bargaining for rice, now a staple in the game. She was unafraid to ask for what she wanted and what she needed, and while that season’s jury didn’t respect that, the perception of women in Survivor has come a long way, and there’s no one better to further that than Angelina.