Is Tony DiNozzo Staying at NCIS Beyond Season 24? Here's What Michael Weatherly and the Showrunner Say

Ten years after he walked out of the Navy Yard, Tony DiNozzo is back, and this time he's sitting in the director's chair. The big question every NCIS fan is asking now: how long is he staying?

From Very Special Agent to Director

If you missed it, Season 24 kicked off on October 6 with a twist nobody saw coming a few years ago. Tony came to the D.C. area to open a new branch of his security company, got pulled into an NCIS case, and by the end of it the SECNAV had made him the agency's new director. He'd turned her down once already, but the job found him anyway.

It's a bittersweet promotion. The chair opened up after Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll) died in the show's emotional 500th episode, and seeing Gibbs' old protégé step in feels like a real full-circle moment.

The Numbers Say Fans Are All In

Tony's return isn't just a feel-good story, it's a ratings story. As Collider reported, the Season 24 premiere drew 6.45 million viewers, the most-watched program on broadcast TV that night and the flagship's best number since the Season 21 finale in 2024. Even with CBS pulling all three NCIS shows on November 3 for election coverage, CBR noted NCIS was still sitting at No. 4 on Paramount+ the next day.

So... Is He Staying?

Here's where it gets fun. Weatherly was announced for a "season-long arc," but nobody is closing the door on more.

Showrunner Steven D. Binder told TV Insider the team takes things "one season at a time," but added: "Certainly, it's been really great having him in that chair, and I don't see any reason why it should slow." He also admitted they aren't "looking quite that far yet."

Weatherly himself is happily keeping us guessing. Speaking to TV Insider over the summer, he promised fans would meet "a brand new DiNozzo" for "at least" this season, someone who is still "just like the DiNozzo you knew and loved before." When asked about that little "at least," he only said it's "a lot of episodes," and that he won't reveal how many because he wants people to "stay edged."

Classic Tony.

And history is on our side. The NCIS director job has a habit of lasting: Tom Morrow held it for two seasons, Jenny Shepard for three, and Leon Vance for 18.

What About Ziva?

Cote de Pablo hasn't shown up on the flagship yet, but the door is wide open. Ziva is just a few hours away while their daughter Tali settles into boarding school, and she's apparently got Knight keeping an eye on Tony's diet. Doesn't that sound like the start of a reunion?

Mark Your Calendar

NCIS returns Tuesday, November 10, with Season 24, Episode 5, "Speechless," at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. Episodes stream the next day on Paramount+.

Now it's your turn: do you want Director DiNozzo to stay for Season 25 and beyond? And should Ziva be next through those doors? Tell us in the comments! 💙

Sources: TV Insider (interviews with Steven D. Binder and Michael Weatherly), Collider, CBR.