NCIS brings back fan-favorite star in surprise return after series cancellation
NCIS is pulling off its biggest reunion in years, bringing an original cast member back as a series regular for the first time in more than a decade.
Right, here’s one for everyone who’s kept one eye on NCIS since it more or less took over primetime telly: Michael Weatherly is officially dusting off his badge as Tony DiNozzo for season 24. And if that feels like déjà vu, well, it is in a way—except this time, he’s actually sticking around for a proper story arc, rather than just popping up for a quick cameo.
So, how long’s it been?
Weatherly last showed his face on the original NCIS in 2024, dropping by for a single episode (season 21, episode 12, if you’re counting). But you have to roll back to 2016 for the last time he was actually part of the main cast—he walked away after season 13, which is basically a lifetime ago by telly standards.
The spin-off that came and went
Between then and now, he didn’t vanish from the franchise entirely—Paramount+ tried their hand at a spin-off, NCIS: Tony and Ziva, throwing both Weatherly and Cote de Pablo back together as DiNozzo and Ziva David. Fair play, that had a bit of buzz, but apparently not enough to keep it around: the show cranked out a single 10-episode season in 2025 before Paramount+ quietly pulled the plug.
What to expect this time
- Weatherly’s coming back for a full season-long arc in season 24
- No word yet on whether Ziva or any other old favourites will join him (don’t hold your breath—but who knows with this lot)
- This marks his proper return to NCIS as a mainstay, not just a guest star
Worth noting
Weatherly has been plenty busy post-NCIS, leading the legal drama Bull for several years, but it seems the call of the mothership was too strong. Variety’s got the scoop, and nobody’s leaked much more for now, but for NCIS fans, this is about as big as it gets.
'These will be his first episodes in the original NCIS show since his cameo in Season 21, Episode 12 (2024), and his first time playing a regular role on the show since he departed in Season 13 (2016).'
More details are apparently on the way, so that’s the lot for now.