8 NCIS Characters Who Needs To Return In New York Spinoff

Published Sep 26, 2026, 2:45 PM EDT Cher Thompson is a Senior Staff Writer at Screen Rant, where she covers everything from explosive reality TV moments to cast interviews about the twists and turns of scripted dramas. With a background in creative writing, marketing, and teaching, Cher knows how to spot both the storytelling genius and the guilty pleasures in pop culture. Her work blends wit with insight, making readers feel like they’re chatting with a friend who just happens to know way too much about TV. With the NCIS franchise entering a whole new era as NCIS: New York gets underway, there are several franchise cast members who should return for a visit within the new series. Starring LL Cool J as Sam Hanna, his character from NCIS: Los Angeles, the new NCIS series is bringing a New York field team to life for the first time. With the series bringing Scott Caan, most notably from CBS' Hawaii Five-0, on board as Sam's new partner, the NCIS franchise is getting a shakeup with new cast members and the franchise's first recast in the past two decades. While there are characters from the flagship series already confirmed to be a part of NCIS: New York as it comes to life, most viewers are likely looking forward to characters from the franchise they haven't seen on screen to join in. With NCIS: Los Angeles having run for 14 seasons, there are tons of faces that could join NCIS: New York to spark some nostalgia for the series. With the built-in advantage of Sam Hanna already bringing in the nostalgia-factor, the new series should take the chance to bring in as many returning characters as possible to strengthen itself. 8 Nell Jones An important piece of NCIS: Los Angeles, Nell Jones (Renée Felice Smith) joined the series during its second season and stuck around until its tenth. Initially an intelligence analyst, Nell worked with the NCIS: LA team and grew into bigger leadership opportunities as the series continued, growing to be an essential part of the team during the show's run. Nell's expertise and technological skills were critical in resolving cases for Callen and Hanna's team, which made her a valuable part of the series as a whole. Nell returning on NCIS: New York would be a fun tip of the cap. 7 Fatima Namazi MovieStillsDB As a part of the team during the show's later years, Fatima Namazi (Medalion Rahimi) became one of the standouts of the later stretch of NCIS: Los Angeles. While Namazi joined the team as a technical specialist, over the course of her time with the NCIS: Los Angeles team, she transitioned into a field role and became a clutch member of the squad. Her intelligence background made her a uniquely versatile agent, and her experience was key in some major cases. As a part of the next generation of NCIS in her initial run, Fatima would be a seamless fit. 6 Devin Roundtree MovieStillsDB As another addition during the later seasons of NCIS: Los Angeles, Devin Rountree (Caleb Castille) joined the series during its eleventh season, but made a major impact. A former police officer who joined the Office of Special Projects without much of a path, Rountree was quickly able to develop into a great field agent who was important to the team as he learned more about his role. Rountree was someone who Sam took under his wing implicitly, and that connection makes the transition over to NCIS: New York an easy one. Learning more about what Rountree is up to would be great for Sam, and help viewers connect the franchise worlds together in a simple way. 5 Jane Tennant Although Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey) was a part of NCIS: Hawai'i rather than NCIS: Los Angeles, her bond with Sam would be a great way to bring her into the new franchise series. Tennant was the Special Agent in Charge of the Pearl Harbor field office, and her relationship with Sam was strong during the run of NCIS: Hawai'i. During crossover events, Sam and Tennant got to know each other and their working relationship was fun to watch unfold on screen through each series. While Tennant isn't someone fans may expect to see on NCIS: New York, an appearance would be an interesting choice. Representing the broader NCIS franchise, she's someone who isn't from the original Los Angeles cast or the flagship series. Instead, Tennant would be able to represent the NCIS shows that have since gone off the air. Offering a perspective that's distinctly different from Sam's, Tennant's return would be able to bring her experience and leadership into a guest spot, while highlighting the diversity of leadership styles within the wider NCIS franchise. 4 Marty Deeks As a massive piece of NCIS: Los Angeles' lore and one of Sam's closest colleagues during the show's run, Marty Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen) would be someone viewers anticipate seeing on New York at some point. Initially introduced as a detective from the LAPD, Deeks eventually joined the Office of Special Projects and became one of the main characters of NCIS: Los Angeles, working with the greater team over the course of the series. Deeks would bring an interesting perspective to NCIS: New York because of his experience, which goes beyond that of a traditional agent. While it's likely Deeks would come into the series as a guest in the NCIS: New York field office, his expertise could be beneficial from a city to city perspective. On top of his expertise, Deeks' longstanding relationship with Sam is what viewers would be most interested to see on the new series. Over the course of 14 seasons, Sam and Deeks built a tremendous dynamic that was shaped on mutual trust and respect for each other. Seeing Deeks get the chance to interact with Sam in a new space would be exciting. 3 Kensi Blye As another cornerstone character of NCIS: Los Angeles, Kensi Blye (Daniela Ruah) would be someone viewers anticipate seeing on NCIS: New York eventually, perhaps even with Deeks alongside her. Kensi was one of the franchise's most dependable field agents, and her work on undercover assignments and high-risk operations would be an interesting addition to a New York case. As one of the most capable investigators that Sam has ever worked with, seeing him call her in for help wouldn't be a surprise after their years-long working relationship. Kensi's skill set would be interesting to see incorporated into NCIS: New York in some way, especially because the new series is expected to focus on more high-stakes missions with a more strategic side to the work than other franchises. Unlike some guest characters who would primarily serve nostalgic purposes, Kensi could make a direct contribution to the narrative of NCIS: New York. Her return would be a great nostalgia play, of course, but it would also strengthen the show's action-oriented elements while reinforcing Sam's history within the larger NCIS franchise. 2 Henrietta "Hetty" Lange CBS Few characters have had as much of an impact on NCIS than Henrietta "Hetty" Lange (Linda Hunt), and while her time on NCIS: Los Angeles ended on a mysterious note, seeing her again in the franchise's new series would be a perfect touch. Serving as the Operations Manager of the Office of Special Projects within NCIS: Los Angeles, Hetty was a mentor to everyone on the team, especially Hanna. There were so many questions left unanswered about Hetty that it would feel unnatural not to hear about her on NCIS: New York, even just in passing. Although there likely isn't space for a massive Hetty arc, the series should be able to throw viewers a bone about the iconic NCIS: Los Angeles character. Hetty's value within the franchise is far beyond a nostalgia play, as information about her story would provide viewers with a genuine resolution to long-standing questions. A guest appearance on NCIS: New York would allow the franchise to provide a real update on Hetty's story and strengthen the connection between the franchise's shows. 1 G. Callen No character feels like a better fit for a return to the franchise in NCIS: New York than G. Callen (Chris O'Donnell), Sam's longtime partner. Callen spent the duration of the series working with Sam as a counterpart, and seeing him move forward with a new partner in NCIS: New York is going to be strange enough for viewers used to the pair. As one of the show's most significant duos, Callen returning to NCIS in order to work with or check on Sam would be an expected choice for the series as it continues. While O'Donnell, who's currently working on 9-1-1: Nashville, may be unavailable for a legitimate guest spot on the series, coming in for a cameo or quick visit feels like the best possible situation for NCIS: New York to move forward. Callen represents the strongest bridge between NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: New York, bringing Sam's old partner into the mix in order to give some sort of blessing to the new series. While it's possible that Callen could come back at some point, NCIS: New York may not see it happen soon. NCIS: New York Release Date October 6, 2026 Network CBS Cast Scott Caan Nick Schaeffer Jennifer Beals Robyn Wells Jacqueline Byers Addison Ross NCIS: New York, released in 2026, follows Special Agent Sam Hanna as he returns to New York City. Partnering with agent Nick Schaeffer, they lead a new NCIS team tasked with high-stakes missions to protect the city's crucial infrastructure and maintain national security. Created by Donald P. Bellisario, Don McGill First TV Show NCIS Latest TV Show NCIS: Sydney Upcoming TV Shows NCIS: Origins, NCIS: Tony & Ziva First Episode Air Date September 23, 2003 Cast Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Pauley Perrette, Cote de Pablo, Sean Murray, Rocky Carroll, Brian Dietzen, Wilmer Valderrama The NCIS franchise is an American media franchise that focuses on military-related criminal investigations by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. It began with NCIS in 2003, a spin-off from JAG, and has since expanded to include multiple spin-offs set across different locations.