Scrubs revival reshapes cast for Season 2 as two leave and interns step up

Scrubs will start its second season on ABC without two of its new faces, while one intern joins the main cast and three more doctors and nurses check in.

Joel Kim Booster and X Mayo are leaving ahead of Season 2, according to Deadline, which reported the changes on 25 September 2026. Booster played scheming senior doctor Dr Kevin Park. Mayo played charge nurse Raymond, also billed as Nurse Pippa Raymond.

The revival centres on three familiar names. Zach Braff is back as John “J.D.” Dorian, Donald Faison as Christopher Turk and Sarah Chalke as Elliot Reid. In Season 1, those three were the only series regulars, meaning the contracted main cast paid to appear in every episode.

Almost everyone else worked as recurring guest stars, meaning they appear across episodes without a full-season contract and their services are subject to availability. That structure explains how quickly the ward can change shape between seasons.

Mayo’s exit was logistical rather than story-driven. Braff said she was working so much that she was not fully available. Booster’s departure was reported alongside hers, with no return planned for Dr Park.

The gap at the top creates room for promotion. Ava Bunn, who recurred in Season 1 as intern Sam Tosh, becomes a series regular for Season 2. She was part of a new intern group that also included Blake, played by David Gridley, Asher, played by Jacob Dudman, and Amara, played by Layla Mohammadi, with Vanessa Bayer also joining the ensemble, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Three more names are joining the rota. John Higgins arrives in a major recurring role as Grant, the new Chief Resident, the senior trainee who supervises other junior doctors. Keyla Monterroso Mejia joins in a major recurring role as Mimi, a surgical nurse. Michael James Scott will play charge nurse Dubois, filling part of the gap left by Mayo.

Tamera Mowry-Housley will also appear as a guest star, meaning a short run of one or a few episodes, as Dr Steffie, a children’s doctor.

For fans, this means a familiar pattern is being rebuilt. Creator Bill Lawrence originated the idea to replace Park with Grant as a junior foil for J.D., to echo the J.D. and Dr Cox sparring that ran through the original series.