Michael Weatherly returns as Tony DiNozzo for NCIS season 24
Michael Weatherly is returning to “NCIS” for Season 24 in a season-long arc as fan-favorite agent tony dinozzo, following the cancellation of Paramount+’s “NCIS: Tony & Ziva” after one season. CBS says the new-season story details are being kept “classified,” but the move signals a major franchise shake-up for 2026–27.
Key Takeaways
- Michael Weatherly will appear across “NCIS” Season 24 as Tony DiNozzo.
- The return follows the one-season cancellation of “NCIS: Tony & Ziva.”
- CBS hasn’t confirmed whether Cote de Pablo will also return to “NCIS.”
- Season 24 is set for Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT this fall on CBS (streaming on Paramount+).
Is Michael Weatherly really coming back as Tony DiNozzo?
Yes. Weatherly is suiting back up as Tony DiNozzo for a season-long arc in “NCIS” Season 24, reuniting him with the flagship series’ team in Washington, D.C., according to reports from Deadline, Variety, and The Hollywood Reporter.
Season 24 will air Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT this fall on CBS and will stream on Paramount+, Deadline reports. The Hollywood Reporter adds that Weatherly will appear throughout the coming season, but that specifics about what brings Tony back are being kept under wraps.
Why does this matter after “Tony & Ziva” was canceled?
The timing is the headline. Weatherly’s return lands about six months after Paramount+ canceled “NCIS: Tony & Ziva” after a single season, per Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter. That spinoff reunited Weatherly with Cote de Pablo, who played Ziva on the original series.
In practical terms, the return re-centers a major piece of “NCIS” fandom back onto the mothership. It also raises immediate questions about continuity: Deadline notes CBS declined to comment on whether de Pablo will also return, and whether the network plans to “retcon” events from “Tony & Ziva.”
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Will Ziva return too, and what’s the story?
Right now, there’s no confirmed answer. Deadline reports CBS declined to comment on whether de Pablo will also return to “NCIS.” The Hollywood Reporter similarly says details on what brings Tony back are being kept “classified for now.”
What is clear is the scale: this isn’t a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo. All three outlets frame Weatherly’s comeback as a season-long arc, which suggests Tony will be a recurring presence rather than a one-episode surprise.
When is “NCIS” Season 24 airing, and who’s on the show now?
Deadline reports “NCIS” Season 24 will air Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT this fall on CBS and stream on Paramount+. The Hollywood Reporter and Variety list the current “NCIS” cast as including Sean Murray, Wilmer Valderrama, Brian Dietzen, Diona Reasonover, Katrina Law, and Gary Cole.
In the bigger franchise picture, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter note this is another high-profile “NCIS” return in short order, following news that Mark Harmon will have a season-long on-camera role on the prequel “NCIS: Origins.”