What Happened to Michael Weatherly and NCIS Season 24?

Michael Weatherly, known for his charismatic portrayal of Special Agent Anthony 'Tony' DiNozzo, is making a significant return to the flagship CBS series NCIS for its 24th season, scheduled to air in Fall 2026. This comeback is a major development for fans who have long hoped for his full-time return since his departure as a series regular in 2016 after 13 seasons and over 300 episodes. Weatherly's initial exit was to pursue other creative challenges, most notably starring in the CBS legal drama 'Bull', which ran for six seasons from 2016 to 2022 before he decided to move on.

His connection to the NCIS universe remained, with a notable guest appearance in Season 21 (2024) for a tribute episode honoring the late David McCallum, who played Dr. Donald 'Ducky' Mallard. More recently, Weatherly reunited with co-star Cote de Pablo (Ziva David) for the Paramount+ universe expansion series 'NCIS: Tony & Ziva', which premiered in Fall 2025. However, the spinoff, which depicted Tony and Ziva co-parenting their daughter Tali in Paris, was canceled after just one season in late 2025.

The announcement of Weatherly's season-long arc for NCIS Season 24, made on July 1, 2026, by CBS, has generated considerable excitement. The network confirmed that DiNozzo will be reunited with the NCIS team, though specific details on how his character will be re-integrated from Paris to D.C. and the exact number of episodes remain under wraps. This return is particularly timely as NCIS Season 24 is poised to address a dramatic Season 23 finale that aired on May 12, 2026. The finale ended with a shocking cliffhanger involving a gunshot during a confrontation between Special Agent Nick Torres and Timothy McGee's son, Mateo, and also featured the surprising death of Director Leon Vance, played by Rocky Carroll, who exited the series after 18 seasons.

NCIS, which recently celebrated its 500th episode, continues to be CBS's longest-running primetime drama and a global franchise leader. The upcoming Season 24, expected to debut in mid-October 2026, will air on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT, alongside other renewed franchise shows like 'NCIS: Origins' (which will see Mark Harmon return as older Gibbs) and 'NCIS: Sydney', and the new spinoff 'NCIS: New York' starring LL Cool J. Weatherly's return is seen as a strategic move to infuse nostalgia and fresh dynamics into the evolving series, especially as it navigates the aftermath of Vance's death and potential new leadership within the agency.