Why Is NCIS Bringing Back Tony DiNozzo Jr. After 12 Years? Michael Weatherly’s Comeback Explained

Jul 03, 2026 - 16:10

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Why Is NCIS Bringing Back Tony DiNozzo Jr. After 12 Years? Michael Weatherly’s Comeback Explained

A still of Michael Weatherly as Tony DiNozzo Jr. in NCIS season 12.

Published Jul 3, 2026, 8:16 AM EDT

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NCIS season 24 will be welcoming back a familiar face, but after 12 years away (aside from a short guest spot), Michael Weatherly's return to the CBS series as Tony DiNozzo Jr. is as mysterious as the show itself. As one of the main cast members on NCIS for the show's first 13 seasons, viewers got the chance to get to know Tony from the very beginning of the series. A flirtatious, film quoting agent, Tony's charm often found him in sticky situations, but his skills as an agent made him a great fit with the rest of the MCRT.

Throughout the series, Tony formed relationships with everyone around him, including former Mossad agent Ziva David (Cote de Pablo). The will they/won't they romance between Tony and Ziva sprawled well over the course of a decade, and though the pair both left NCIS, the series ultimately gave them closure off-screen. When Weatherly and de Pablo were announced to be reprising their roles in a Paramount+ spinoff, NCIS: Tony & Ziva, viewers were ecstatic at the idea of revisiting the characters. Unfortunately, the series only lasted a season before facing cancellation from the streaming platform, even with audience interest in renewal.

While it seemed likely that NCIS would officially be finished with Tony, Ziva, and anything surrounding their characters after the cancelation, it was recently announced that Weatherly will be returning for NCIS season 24. The CBS series, which was shaken up throughout NCIS season 23, is facing a brand-new era.

Tony's Return To NCIS Brings A Veteran MCRT Member Back Into The Fold

Although NCIS season 24 is going to see some significant changes to the MCRT now that Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll) has passed, and with Tony's return to the series, a shakeup within the team's structure is eminent. Tony, who was last regularly part of the NCIS team before the arrival of Torres (Wilmer Valderrama), Knight (Katrina Law), or Parker (Gary Cole), will have a lot of adjusting to do if he's joining the team in a similar capacity he held in the past. Tony may be able to bring a unique perspective back to the MCRT, especially at this juncture.

With Tony and McGee (Sean Murray) the only people involved with the MCRT from NCIS' start, their presence may shift the dynamics of the current team. It's possible that Tony's return will be more directly about Vance's passing, as well. While Tony's definitely not as senior an agent as Vance was while climbing the ladder up to his role of director, the MCRT is still without a leader in that position. It could be possible that Tony may fill in as interim director, or may fill in elsewhere while someone else on the team, like Parker, takes up that post.

Current NCIS Character

Actor

Appearance Window

Timothy McGee	Sean Murray	Season 1-Present
Dr. James Palmer	Brian Dietzen	Season 1-Present
Nick Torres	Wilmer Valderrama	Season 14-Present
Jessica Knight	Katrina Law	Season 18-Present
Kasie Hines	Diona Reasonover	Season 15-Present
Alden Parker	Gary Cole	Season 19-Present

What We Know About Tony DiNozzo's NCIS Season 24 Return

Michael Weatherly as Tony DiNozzo looking into a camera with a gun in front of him in NCIS Tony and Ziva

Although there's not a ton of information available about what Tony's role on NCIS season 24 will be, there has been some news surrounding Weatherly's return. After the cancelation of NCIS: Tony & Ziva, which left off with Tony and Ziva hoping to give their romance another shot after a whirlwind adventure to save their daughter, Tony's professional future felt up in the air. While he'd been running a security firm in France, working with Ziva again and going out into action may have been enough to call him back to the MCRT in hopes of some personal fulfillment.

According to Deadline, Weatherly will be returning as Tony for a season-long arc, bringing him back to NCIS regularly for the first time in over a decade. While the network announced Weatherly's return, there was no news surrounding whether that means de Pablo will be back as Ziva, or if the events of the Paramount+ spinoff will impact the current NCIS season. Purposefully staying quiet, NCIS appears to be keeping their options open while bringing back one of their most beloved characters to the long-running series.

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