SerpApi.Org
The first-ever NCIS major recast is finally unveiled.
After a particularly eventful 2025-2026 TV cycle, CBS's premier procedural franchise is up for more changes when it returns this fall. Beyond the major comebacks for Mark Harmon as Leroy Jethro Gibbs in NCIS: Origins season 3 and Michael Weatherly as Tony Dinozzo Jr. in the flagship, the network is also working on launching another expansion show, which hasn't happened since the prequel debuted in 2024. This time, however, they're reverting to their old approach for launching new spinoffs.
Instead of trying a new spin on the NCIS franchise, CBS is simply starting a new branch of the universe. After the success of Los Angeles and New Orleans, the famed agency is establishing a base in New York, with LL Cool J's Sam Hanna leading the way. He is being joined by Jennifer Beals, Jacqueline Byers, Shane Harper, and Devin Druid. Rounding out the cast of NCIS: New York is Scott Caan's still unnamed character, who has become a major talking point for the fan-base, considering that he previously portrayed Danny Williams in Hawaii Five-0.
Courtesy of José Pérez on Instagram is an image and video of Caan on the set of NCIS: New York. This marks the first-look at his comeback to the franchise but playing a different character. The photo also features Byers' Addison Ross and Harper's Wyatt Hill, while the video sees Sam and his new partner. Check them out below:
It was just last week when all three returning NCIS shows returned for the opening table read of the season. For context, CBS's fall 2026 schedule made some alterations to the so-called Super Tuesday. NCIS: New York is taking over the 9pm ET slot, while the shortened NCIS: Origins season 3 run moves to 10pm ET. The flagship, on the other hand, is staying put at 8pm ET. Fans of NCIS: Sydney will have to wait until 2027, however, for JD and Mackey's story continuation.
Aside from seeing Caan's return to the franchise, another interesting takeaway from the aforementioned image and video is that he isn't wearing an NCIS vest. This suggests that it may actually be the first time that Sam and his team are encountering the recast actor on the streets of New York. It makes sense that NCIS: New York is using that as a jumping point for the show's story, as it seems like the spinoff is being anchored to their partnership.
Whether the series will continue to film on location in New York is currently unclear. For context, the flagship shoots in California, even though MCRT's base office is supposedly in Navy Yard, Washington DC. Regardless, it's great that CBS is allowing the new NCIS franchise to do production on the streets of New York despite the higher cost, as these exterior shots will establish the feel and look of the procedural, which needs to be different from other offshoots.
