NCIS's Clamored Reunion 10 Years In The Making Is Closer Than Ever To Happening

Credit: MovieStillsDB Published Sep 10, 2026, 11:59 PM EDT Laura Hurley has been writing about the entertainment industry for more than twelve years, after a decade as a content producer and editor at CinemaBlend after writing for WhatCulture and Examiner. Attending events like SCAD TVfest and San Diego Comic-Con over the course of her career, she has been immersed in the world of network, streaming, and cable TV. Sign in to your ScreenRant account The NCIS franchise is coming back to CBS in a big way this fall, with three shows filling up one entire night of primetime. While the premiere of NCIS: New York is definitely notable for bringing LL Cool J's Sam Hanna back as a series regular for the first time since NCIS: Los Angeles, but the other two shows could deliver a reunion that has been a very long time coming. Mark Harmon and Michael Weatherly are coming back at the perfect time for Gibbs and Tony to finally reunite. Michael Weatherly is returning to NCIS in the wake of NCIS: Tony & Ziva getting cancelled, and Cote de Pablo's Ziva won't be with him as his primary scene partner. Meanwhile, Mark Harmon is moving beyond just narrating for the upcoming third season of NCIS: Origins. The stars are finally aligning for Tony and Gibbs to cross paths in CBS' fall TV premiere schedule. Mark Harmon's Gibbs' Returns To Navy Yard In NCIS: Origins Season 3 Trailer CBS News broke well ahead of NCIS: Origins season 3 that Mark Harmon would reprise his role as Leroy Gibbs in front of the camera instead of just narrating the action, and the former NCIS star is set to appear in every episode of the spinoff's new season. It wasn't until the recent trailer was released that fans got the confirmation that Gibbs is not only coming back to Washington D.C. after relocating to Alaska, but he'll be back in his old stomping grounds: the MCRT bullpen. The trailer doesn't show anybody else in the room when Gibbs walks back into the bullpen, complete with a backpack slung over his shoulder. It's possible that the NCIS cast will simply be conveniently off-screen whenever the Origins crew needs to use the MCRT set, but CBS choosing to hype the new season of Origins in such a way suggests that there could be some major reunions on the way. Normally, the possibility of Gibbs reuniting with McGee or Jimmy would be the most enticing, since Sean Murray and Brian Dietzen are the only remaining cast members from the first season who are still on board for the upcoming 24th season. With the return of Michael Weatherly, however, fans could get a long-awaited reward. Gibbs' MCRT Bullpen Comeback Could Coincide With Tony's NCIS Return CBS Michael Weatherly's return to NCIS this fall isn't just to tie off loose ends from NCIS: Tony & Ziva in a one-off episode. The former Bull actor is set to recur throughout the new season, starting with the premiere October 6. It remains to be seen how frequently he'll appear on the original series this fall, but the season 24 trailer confirms that he'll be back in the familiar MCRT bullpen for at least part of the storyline. With both Weatherly and Mark Harmon appearing in multiple episodes of the NCIS franchise in just a matter of weeks, Tony and Gibbs could certainly cross paths in the MCRT bullpen. Admittedly, it wouldn't be shocking if Gibbs tries to avoid any big reunions and just focus on getting the job done, but it would be a waste for the TV universe to have both men back and not let them cross paths one more time. Crossovers between NCIS and NCIS: Origins may never become annual events, considering the complications of the two shows being set in different time periods. Nevertheless, there's no reason why characters crossing over to meet with old friends can't happen. Even a cameo of one actor on the other's show could whet the appetites of fans who have been waiting to see Gibbs and Tony back together for more than a decade. Why Gibbs & DiNozzo's Reunion Is So Important To NCIS Credit: MovieStillsDB Many actors have come and gone on NCIS over the years, but the two characters whose exits left the biggest voids behind them were arguably Tony DiNozzo and Leroy Gibbs. Tony originally left at the end of season 13, when he learned that he had a daughter with Ziva. At the time, he believed that Ziva had been killed, so he moved to Paris to raise Tali. NCIS: Tony & Ziva filled in some blanks, and Michael Weatherly made a guest appearance in season 21, but 2016 was the last time that Tony was part of Gibbs' team. That is because Gibbs finally left the team in season 19, with Mark Harmon only appearing in a handful of episodes before his character moved to Alaska. That meant he was still around for Cote de Pablo's return as Ziva in season 17, but missed Tony's by a couple of years. Fans of the franchise have been able to see plenty of Gibbs and plenty of Tony over the past ten years; they were just never together.