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Today is a great day for long-time NCIS fans, as its saddest curse is getting officially lifted. Being on the air for over two decades, the procedural is the third longest-running scripted show on TV — only behind NBC's Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU. At this point, the show has evolved multiple times, including in the 2025-2026 cycle, which saw some major shifts in its storytelling, including the untimely death of Director Leon Vance.
While specific plot details are still scant at the moment about whatNCIS season 24 will be like, some details about the upcoming run have already been shared. For starters, Wilmer Valderrama previously teased about major cast changes to the show, which made sense, considering the vacancy that Vance left. Several weeks later, it was announced that Michael Weatherly was coming back as Tony Dinozzo Jr. Despite theories that it would retcon the events of NCIS: Tony & Ziva, the actor has already debunked the idea, alongside a new reveal that makes today a historic one for the procedural.
Michael Weatherly Officially Returns To Work In NCIS Today
When news broke out about Weatherly's return in NCIS, additional details were also revealed, including the fact that his stint will be due to a season-long arc. Understandably, CBS has continued to keep spoiler information close to the chest to save some of them when season 24 finally debuts this fall. That said, this means that Dinozzo will be a series regular, at least for the upcoming cycle, which is more than any returning character has ever had in the series. More recently, Weatherly also confirmed that he will start filming NCIS today, Tuesday, July 14, 2026.
Unfortunately, he didn't add any more information about what going back to production for NCIS entails. He did admit that it had been tempting to share additional details, but stopped himself before he could give away more spoilers. For context, the actor returned for a surprise cameo in NCIS season 21 for Ducky Mallard's send-off episode, which became the stepping stone for NCIS: Tony & Ziva. His appearance was so brief, however, that there wasn't time to catch up with him. This time, however, he'll be a core part of the narrative.
Tony Dinozzo Jr.'s NCIS Return Reverses The No Remaining Original Character Curse
NCIS is known for not recasting, even as it went through countless cast rotations in the past. When Ducky died, the show ended a heartbreaking streak for over two decades, as it left the show with no more original cast members. While Timothy McGee and Jimmy Palmer were both introduced in season 1, they weren't members of Leroy Jethro Gibbs' original team when the show kicked off. That curse of not having any inaugural characters continued until now, with Weatherly officially coming back as Dinozzo.
Not only is the Very Special Agent part of the crew that responded in "Yankee White," he was also already with Gibbs during the two-part backdoor pilot in JAG, which adds to the sentimental value of his return. Granted that this is only going to be for NCIS season 24, but as previously mentioned, this is the most prominent part a returning cast member has ever had in the series, so it's still worth celebrating.
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