Michael Weatherly is suiting back up as Tony DiNozzo to return to CBS‘ NCIS this fall for a season-long arc.
The news arrives 6 months after NCIS: Tony & Ziva was canceled after one season at Paramount+. The spinoff reunited Weatherly with Cote de Pablo, who played Tony’s partner in life and in fighting crime, Ziva, on the mothership series.
CBS declined to comment regarding whether de Pablo will also return to NCIS, nor if they plan to retcon the events from Tony & Ziva. They could also continue the storyline from the spinoff with or without de Pablo; however, the network is staying mum on their plans for now.
Season 24 of NCIS will air Tuesdays at 8:00 PM, ET/PT this fall on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
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Weatherly first portrayed Tony on JAG’s two-episode backdoor pilot for NCIS in Season 8. He starred on NCIS as a main cast member since the show’s inception until Season 13, when he departed in the finale. Weatherly embraced the universe again in NCIS: Tony & Ziva, which premiered last fall.
NCIS: Tony & Ziva picked up after Ziva’s supposed death when Tony left the NCIS team to go raise their daughter. Years later, Ziva was discovered alive, leading her to complete one final mission with NCIS before she was reunited with Tony and their daughter in Paris.
Amy Reisenbach, CBS Entertainment President, replied, “We really wanted to bring the Sam Hanna character back.”
Sam Hanna has been played by LL Cool J on three NCIS franchise shows, including the mothership series, the spinoff NCIS: Los Angeles, and NCIS: Hawai’i, following the cancellation of the LA spinoff. NCIS: New York will air Tuesday nights at 9 p.m. this fall in between NCIS and NCIS: Origins.
NCIS, which revolves around special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, stars Sean Murray, Wilmer Valderrama, Katrina Law, Brian Dietzen, Diona Reasonover, and Gary Cole.
Season 24 executive producers: Steven D. Binder, Chas. Floyd Johnson, Mark Harmon, Scott Williams, Christopher J. Waild, Mark R. Schilz, José Clemente Hernandez, Avery C. Drewe, Marco Schnabel and Donald P. Bellisario. NCIS is produced by CBS Studios.
