Michael Weatherly Returns to NCIS Season 24 — Ten Years After He Swore He Was Done With Network TV

Ten years ago, Michael Weatherly walked off the NCIS set and told showrunner Steven D. Binder he was done with network television. He had young kids. The hours were brutal. He wanted out.

But he did not stay away for long. He came back for Bull. He made a brief guest appearance on NCIS in 2024. He also returned for a full spinoff season alongside Cote de Pablo in NCIS: Tony & Ziva — and then watched that show get canceled after one season on Paramount+ in December. Now CBS has announced that Weatherly, 57, will return as Special Agent Tony DiNozzo for NCIS Season 24, premiering this fall in the Tuesday 8 p.m. ET/PT slot.

From Spinoff to the Original Series

The timing is important. Weatherly and de Pablo worked hard on Tony & Ziva. The show finally gave these two popular characters the romance that the original series had teased for years. When the show was canceled, the two actors shared a statement saying they felt lucky to play the characters again and tell more of their story. That statement feels different now that Weatherly is returning to the original main show, especially since the story of their own show was left incomplete.

The timing matters. Weatherly and de Pablo had put real effort into Tony & Ziva — a show that gave two beloved characters the love story the original series had teased for years. When it ended, the two released a joint statement saying they felt "incredibly lucky to have had the chance to play these characters once again and to tell the next chapter of Tony and Ziva's story." That statement reads a little differently now, with Weatherly heading back to the main show, especially since the story of their own show was left incomplete

A Franchise Bringing Its Stars Home

The TV network's announcement did not explain exactly why he is returning. What is clear is that NCIS — now in its 24th season and the longest-running primetime drama on CBS — has a way of pulling people home. Mark Harmon, 74, who played Leroy Jethro Gibbs across 18 seasons before leaving in 2021, was also confirmed this week to return in all episodes of NCIS: Origins Season 3. His storyline involves a present-day mystery connected to his character's 1990s days at Camp Pendleton, running through the entire season.

In his first run on the show, Weatherly appeared in more than 300 episodes over 13 seasons. He started alongside Harmon and other original cast members like David McCallum, Sasha Alexander, Pauley Perrette, and Sean Murray. This group is the cast that most fans remember best. CBS is making a big deal out of bringing two of its biggest original stars back to TV in the same week.

Back in 2022, Binder told TVLine that a Weatherly return to the main series would be "great" but speculated it was not imminent. "I suspect — forgetting Tony DiNozzo for a minute — that Michael Weatherly is on vacation," he said. "I've known him for a while and I think he needs to chillax and go someplace tropical." Whether Weatherly got his tropical vacation is unknown. He is back on set either way.

NCIS Season 24 airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS and streams on Paramount+.