Though Mark Harmon departed NCIS during season 19, the seasoned veteran is returning to the franchise as part of a spinoff entitled NCIS: Origins. The franchise began in 2003 as a spinoff of the hit series JAG and follows the special agents of the Naval Crime Investigation Service as they use their crime-fighting know-how to solve cases within the American military system. Despite ing a host of popular procedural crime dramas in the early 2000s, NCIS has stood the test of time to become a TV institution.

Since the show's inception, the story has largely revolved around the character of Leroy Gibbs, the stoic NCIS Supervisory Agent in charge of the crack team. Mark Harmon played the role of Gibbs starting with the show's backdoor pilot on JAG in 2003, and led NCIS for 19 impressive seasons before finally riding off into the sunset in search of new adventures in 2021. Now, even as the original series carries on, and so too do the myriad of spinoffs, a new prequel series has just surfaced which will see Harmon return to the NCIS universe after only a few short years away.

NCIS: Origins Latest News

Mark Harmon Will Appear In Origins

From the outset, it was known that Mark Harmon would appear in the new series as the narrator, but the latest news confirms that Harmon will play Gibbs in NCIS: Origins. Marking the actor's first return to the franchise since his 2021 departure, NCIS: Origins will feature a brief appearance from Harmon as Gibbs onscreen. It will come in the premiere episode of the series and, according to co-showrunner David J. North “We are focusing on him telling the story of 1991. As far as Mark appearing again, we are open to anything.”

NCIS: Origins Release Date

The Gibbs Prequel Is Coming In October

Despite only announcing the prequel spinoff in January 2024, CBS has scheduled NCIS: Origins as part of its fall 2024-2025 slate. The newest series in the franchise will air directly following NCIS starting Monday, October 14, at 10pm, and that crucial schedule slot will likely help the spinoff be an instant success.

NCIS: Sydney and NCIS: Tony & Ziva do not have release dates yet.

NCIS: Origins Cast

Mark Harmon Will Narrate & Austin Stowell Plays Young Gibbs

Much of the new cast of NCIS: Origins has been revealed, and since it is a prequel set in the 1990s, it's unlikely that many of the familiar faces of NCIS will appear. While certain NCIS characters could pop up as younger versions of themselves, Origins will likely feature all-new actors to the franchise who step into roles unknown to fans. Mark Harmon is returning in Origins, as he will be narrating and will make a brief appearance in episode 1. The role of young Gibbs went to Austin Stowell.

NCIS: Origins will feature a young version of Vera Strickland, though the role originally played by Roma Maffia will now be played by Diany Rodriguez. Additionally, Gibb's mentor Mike Franks will also feature prominently in the story but Muse Watson has been replaced by Kyle Schmid. Two brand-new characters have been announced as Mariel Molino s the cast as potential love-interest Agent Lala Dominguez and Tyla Abercrumbie has been cast as protective Field Operation Officer Mary Jo.

Though the show is already scheduled for the 2024-2025 slate, the cast of NCIS: Origins continues to grow with the casting of several new characters. SNL alum Bobby Moynihan will play the role of Woodrow "Woody" Browne, the lead forensic scientist who is known for his off-beat humor. Furthermore, Lori Petty has been tapped to play Dr. Lenora Friedman, the pathologist at the San Diego Medical Examiner's Office.

NCIS: Origins Story

Gibbs' Early Career Is Explored

the show not only explores Gibbs' rise through the ranks but also his skills as an investigator, which eventually earned him the spot as the Supervisory Agent in the future.

The basic framework of NCIS: Origins has already been revealed, and it will follow Leroy Gibbs in the 1990s as he is freshly assigned to NCIS at Camp Pendleton, where he learns from legendary agent Mike Franks and his partner Vera Strickland. Presumably, it will be a procedural mixed with a character drama, as the show not only explores Gibbs' rise through the ranks but also his skills as an investigator, which eventually earned him the spot as the Supervisory Agent in the future.

NCIS: Origins Trailer

The First Teaser Is Revealed

CBS released a brief teaser which hypes up the forthcoming prequel series. Using clips from Gibbs' final appearance on NCIS, the short clip shows the beloved Supervisory Agent as he casts his line while fishing in Alaska. While there is no footage from NCIS: Origins in the trailer, it does reveal that the show is coming soon, and will be part of CBS' 2024-2025 season.

With the show's October release date looming, CBS released a full trailer for NCIS: Origins that finally offers a close look at the new series. Set to Soundgarden's 1990s classic, "Black Hole Sun", the trailer introduces young Gibbs as he enters Camp Pendleton with a failed psych evaluation and the emotional weight of losing his daughter and wife to a murderer. However, he's thrown right into the action as his new mentor, Mike Franks, shows him the ropes and Gibbs must learn to think quickly to help solve tough cases.