6 NCIS Theories About The Real Reason For Tony Dinozzo's NCIS Return

Jul 11, 2026 - 16:02

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6 NCIS Theories About The Real Reason For Tony Dinozzo's NCIS Return

Michael Weatherly as Tony DiNozzo in NCIS season 12

Published Jul 11, 2026, 8:15 AM EDT

Laura Hurley has been writing about the entertainment industry for more than twelve years, after a decade as a content producer and editor at CinemaBlend after writing for WhatCulture and Examiner. Attending events like SCAD TVfest and San Diego Comic-Con over the course of her career, she has been immersed in the world of network, streaming, and cable TV.

NCIS is still months away from returning to CBS for season 24, but a piece of casting news has given fans something to talk about for the rest of summer hiatus. Michael Weatherly is returning to the long-running procedural in CBS' fall 2026 schedule as Tony DiNozzo, just one year after the premiere of NCIS: Tony & Ziva and months after the Paramount+ series was cancelled. It will be Weatherly's first return to the original show since a one-off appearance in 2024, and the big question is why he'll be back.

This won't be another one-off return for the actor, and certainly not a guest appearance for the purpose of recruiting an audience for the Tony & Ziva spinoff. Weatherly will be back for a "season-long arc" in season 24. That technically could mean anything from two episodes to twenty, and Cote de Pablo's arc when she returned for season 17 spanned just four episodes. Still, even with details currently scarce, all signs point to a fair amount of Tony, starting in the fall, back on the original JAG spinoff.

The big question now is what will bring Tony to NCIS season 24 so many years after Weatherly left as a series regular in the season 13 finale. The spinoff already resolved his open ending when he left the agency to take care of Tali, so there's a blank slate ahead of him for the new season.

Something Happened To Ziva Or Tali

Despite a fan campaign for more of NCIS: Tony & Ziva after the series was cancelled, the first season didn't end on any major unresolved cliffhangers. Tony and Ziva were ready to give their tumultuous romance another try, and they were happily reunited with their daughter after Tali had been kidnapped. Notably, the announcement that Michael Weatherly was coming to NCIS for season 24 didn't come with any news about Cote de Pablo returning as Ziva.

While it's possible that Tony just left Ziva and Tali overseas for a bit to take care of some business solo in the U.S., the odds seem better that something happened to one or both of them that requires him to recruit the help of his old team. A lot likely depends on whether there's a forthcoming announcement that de Pablo is coming back to the original show as well.

An Old Case Causes New Problems

Tony making a sign to McGee in NCIS season 10

Michael Weatherly's most recent adventures in the franchise were, of course, on NCIS: Tony & Ziva, but he didn't spend 13 seasons and more than 300 episodes on the original show without working high-profile cases and making enemies. An old case that wasn't entirely resolved the first time around could resurface, and the team could require Tony's services to close it for good in season 24. NCIS is mostly procedural, so there aren't too many serialized arcs across those 300 episodes compared to one-off episodes. Still, it would be a straightforward way to bring him back.

One factor that might require his services is simply that the cast heading into season 24 is almost entirely different from the cast when Tony was a member of the team. Gibbs (Mark Harmon), Abby (Pauley Perrette), Bishop (Emily Wickersham), Ducky (David McCallum), and Vance (Rocky Carroll) are all gone. Perhaps McGee and Jimmy will need to call on Tony to revisit a case from their mutual pasts, without any of the others available to call on.

Tony's Security Firm Ties To The Team

Tony may have spent the majority of his time in the NCIS franchise as a field agent, but he returned in Tony & Ziva as the CEO of Salus Mondiale Security Services, based out of Paris. Being on the run for the majority of the season meant that Tony wasn't actively running his security firm for most of the ten episodes, but one of his employees had a key role. Claudette Caron, played by Amita Suman, was pivotal as the Chief Technical Officer.

It's feasible that the main NCIS team comes across a case that involves Salus Mondiale Security Services and requires them to get in touch with Tony. Alternatively, Tony could come across a case in Europe that requires the involvement of NCIS. The possibility of Claudette Caron returning would be a perk, especially if Cote de Pablo won't be back for an arc. Tony's work in the private sector could be an interesting contrast to the agents who have to go by the book.

A Connection To Gibbs On NCIS: Origins

Mark Harmon wearing his hat in an episode of NCIS and smiling

Michael Weatherly isn't the only longtime NCIS star who is returning to the franchise on CBS starting in the fall. Mark Harmon will reprise his role as Gibbs for the third season of NCIS: Origins, and is set to appear in every episode. Details are scarce about what exactly will require Gibbs to return in the flesh, as opposed to just continuing to narrate the story. This will be the first time that Harmon is back on camera in the NCIS franchise in an ongoing role since he departed the original show in season 19.

Without any key details for either Tony's return to NCIS or Gibbs' big role on Origins this fall, it's hard to predict exactly how their arcs will (or will not) overlap. Whatever happens, it would be a shame if the franchise brings both characters back after so many years, only to not reunite them on camera. Whether via Ziva and Tali, an old case, or his security firm, Tony crossing paths with Gibbs again could be a perk in season 24 of the original (or season 3 of NCIS: Origins).

Reconnecting After Vance's Death

Rocky Carroll as Vance in NCIS season 21

Despite NCIS season 23 ending on a cliffhanger for Torres and bringing Bishop back for a couple of episodes, the biggest twist from last season was undoubtedly the death of Leon Vance. The drama killed the director off in the 500th episode, and a big question for the rest of the season concerned who would replace him. While it's technically possible that Tony could return to take a new leadership position within NCIS after Vance's death, the former agent jumping from the private sector in Paris to a major role in his old agency would be a stretch.

It seems more likely that Tony would want to reconnect with members of his old team after getting the bad news about Vance. Even though most of his former peers are gone by the time season 24 kicks off, he worked with McGee and Jimmy for many years during Vance's time as director. If Tony is in the U.S. for some reason, he could touch base with them, and then get sucked into a case when he had only intended to pay his respects.

Tony's Dad Dies

A tragic twist could be what brings Tony back, if NCIS would go so far as to kill off his father. Even though actor Robert Wagner only appeared in 13 episodes as Tony Dinozzo Sr. and his relationship with his son was strained, the former agent losing his dad could certainly bring him back to the United States. Wagner hasn't appeared in the franchise since season 16, but longtime fans would undoubtedly welcome him as Tony Sr. That said, Wagner is 96 years old at the time of writing, and that 2019 episode of NCIS remains his last TV credit (via IMDb).

If Tony Jr. were to lose his dad due to natural causes, his return to the U.S. and a subsequent stay might be fairly straightforward. If Tony Sr. were to return under mysterious circumstances, however, he might want to bring his suspicions to the NCIS team. It would be a shame for Tony to lose his dad so soon after stepping up as Tali's dad on Tony & Ziva, but his father dying would be a logical way to bring him back in some form or other.

Release Date September 23, 2003

Showrunner Donald P. Bellisario

Directors Dennis Smith, Terrence O'Hara, Tony Wharmby, James Whitmore Jr., Thomas J. Wright, Michael Zinberg, Arvin Brown, Rocky Carroll, Diana Valentine, Leslie Libman, Tawnia McKiernan, Colin Bucksey, William Webb, Bethany Rooney, Alrick Riley, Jeff Woolnough, Alan J. Levi, Lionel Coleman, Martha Mitchell, Peter Ellis, Michael Weatherly, Edward Ornelas, Stephen Cragg, Tom Wright

Writers George Schenck, Frank Cardea, Jesse Stern, John C. Kelley, Jennifer Corbett, Christopher Silber, Reed Steiner, Nicole Mirante-Matthews, Jack Bernstein, Scott J. Jarrett, Matthew R. Jarrett, Kimberly-Rose Wolter, Don McGill, Gil Grant, Frank Military, Nell Scovell, Steven Kriozere, Brian Dietzen, Kate Torgovnick May, Jeff Vlaming, Sydney Mitchel, Katie White, Richard C. Arthur, Laurence Walsh