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

Ten years ago, Michael Weatherly left 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 returned to star in the show Bull. He made a quick guest appearance on NCIS in 2024. He also starred in a new show with Cote de Pablo called NCIS: Tony & Ziva—though that show was ended after just one season on Paramount+ in December. Now, CBS has announced that the 57-year-old actor will return as Agent Tony DiNozzo for NCIS Season 24, premiering this fall on Tuesdays at 8 p.m.

The Road Back to CBS

The timing of this news is important. Weatherly and de Pablo worked hard on NCIS: Tony & Ziva — a show that gave two beloved characters the love story the original series had teased for years. When the show ended, the two released a 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 different now that Weatherly is returning to the main show, especially since their own spin-off story was left unfinished.

The TV network did not say exactly why he is coming back. But it is clear that NCIS—now in its 24th season and the longest-running evening drama on CBS—has a way of bringing people back. Mark Harmon, 74, who played Leroy Jethro Gibbs for 18 seasons before leaving in 2021, was also confirmed this week to return in all episodes of NCIS: Origins Season 3. His story will focus on a modern-day mystery linked to his character's past at Camp Pendleton in the 1990s, lasting through the entire season.

Bringing Back the Stars

During his first time on the show, Weatherly appeared in more than 300 episodes over 13 seasons. He started alongside Harmon and other original actors 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 he guessed it would not happen soon. "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+.