NCIS’s First-Ever Recasting Justified By Returning 10-Year Franchise Veteran

Published Sep 7, 2026, 7:59 AM EDT Ana Dumaraog is a Writer and Editor at Screen Rant, where she expertly covers Network TV offerings, among other things She has spearheaded the effort to make the site an authority on broadcast shows, initially starting with The Big Bang Theory franchise, NCIS, and One Chicago before taking on the specialization in general. Ana has also covered a wide-spread of topics in the past — from franchises like, the MCU and Star Wars, to classic TV favorites, such as Frasier and MASH. Ana brings clarity and enthusiasm to every story she tackles—whether reporting on new releases or offering deep dives into fan-favorite franchises. Her coverage translates complex entertainment developments into engaging, audience-focused content. The first-ever NCIS recasting makes sense, according to a returning franchise actor. After over three decades on the air, dating back to JAG, the NCIS franchise is no stranger to changes in personnel, both in front and behind the camera. The flagship alone has seen major character departures in the last decade, the last one being Mark Harmon as Leroy Jethro Gibbs. The exit should have marked the end of NCIS, considering the importance of the actor-character tandem, but it persisted, and now, it's about to end a difficult rebranding period. Despite the countless cast rotations, one thing that the TV institution has done a great job doing is veer away from recasting. Over the years, they have simply introduced a fresh player to fill the void left by their exiting star, and for the most part, this ploy has worked. NCIS is breaking its recasting rule, however, for LL Cool J's new spinoff set in New York. While the rapper-turned-actor is reprising his role as Sam Hanna, his co-star, franchise returnee, Scott Caan, is moving on from his Danny Williams persona. In an interview with TV Insider, Caan, justified the recasting, saying that he couldn't pass up the opportunity to join NCIS: New York upon learning that LL Cool J would spearhead it. For context, the actor played Williams in the Hawaii Five-0 reboot on CBS, and while it didn't have the NCIS branding, the series was established to exist in the same reality thanks to a crossover. In fact, Sam and Dano even worked together on a case. Despite that and Caan's intention to stay away from the procedural sandbox, it didn't take him long to say yes to NCIS: New York. Read his full quote below: “I just felt like I had done that, and I wanted to do something else. But when I got the phone call and they said it was [LL COOL J], I think it took me three seconds to go, ‘Yeah, OK, I’m in.'” CBS Understandably, there's a portion of the fandom that is disappointed at the recasting, simply because Caan played Dano so well. His dynamic with Alex O'Loughlin as Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett was the backbone of that series, and while that partnership is done, it would still have been great to see half of it in NCIS: New York. Beyond that, Dano was from New Jersey, so the new offshoot could have easily explained that he returned to the East Coast and started a new job to maintain continuity. That being said, the people behind NCIS: New York have already made their choice. Considering the fact that they sought Caan for the role likely knowing full-well his history with the franchise, there must be a clear reason that could reveal itself once the series debuts as part of CBS's fall 2026 lineup. For what it's worth, it does seem like Caan's chemistry with LL Cool J is off the charts, which is very important, as it's going to be the bedrock of the project. Ultimately, it will boil down to execution. While CBS has started ramping up the marketing efforts for NCIS: New York, there are still people who are, understandably, skeptical about the project, and that's totally fair. However, it's also important to save final judgment until the new spinoff releases. Perhaps then, the network can fully justify taking this massive risk by doing NCIS's very first major recasting. NCIS: New York Release Date October 6, 2026 Network CBS Directors Eagle Egilsson, Adam Davidson Writers R. Scott Gemmill Cast Scott Caan Nick Schaeffer Jennifer Beals Robyn Wells Jacqueline Byers Addison Ross