NCIS Season 24: NCIS Season 24 premieres on CBS on October 6, 2026, and the new season comes with some major cast changes. Rocky Carroll will not return as Leon Vance after the character's death in Season 23, while Cote de Pablo will also be absent as Ziva David. However, Michael Weatherly is returning as Tony DiNozzo for a season-long storyline.

NCIS Season 24 Cast Details

Rocky Carroll is one of the biggest absences from the NCIS Season 24 cast. The actor played NCIS Director Leon Vance from Season 5 and was written out during Season 23.

Vance was killed in the show's 500th episode after corrupt CID Agent Dolan Thompson, played by Matt Cook, shot him. Carroll later said his exit was "not [his] choice".

Speaking about Vance's death, executive producer Steven D. Binder said, "On the one hand, ‘NCIS’ is a quirky character-based procedural. But on the other hand, there have always been real stakes. It is never easy to say goodbye to any of our characters, but we wanted to honor Rocky and his legacy on the show as best we could, in this case, giving his life so his agency could live."

Cote de Pablo is another familiar face who will not be part of the Season 24 cast. Her character, Ziva David, will remain in Boston, where her daughter Tali attends boarding school.

Binder explained Ziva's absence by saying, "The way we address it is Ziva’s hanging out in the town where her daughter is, doing a little helicopter parenting."

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Michael Weatherly Returns As Tony DiNozzo

While Ziva is staying away from the main NCIS team, Michael Weatherly is returning as Tony DiNozzo. Weatherly originally played the character from Seasons 1 to 13 and later made a guest appearance in Season 21.

Tony will have a season-long arc in Season 24. His storyline will also connect to events from NCIS: Tony & Ziva, the Paramount+ spin-off that premiered in 2025 and was cancelled after one season.

Binder explained, "He had a private security firm in ‘Tony & Ziva’ called Salus Mondiale. His daughter has come to the United States and is in boarding school, and he’s opening a satellite office of his private security firm in D.C. He gets word of something happening with NCIS, and he’s interested about it. That’s how his world crosses paths with ours."

NCIS Season 24 Returning Cast

Sean Murray, Gary Cole, Wilmer Valderrama, Brian Dietzen, Diona Reasonover and Katrina Law are returning for Season 24. They will reprise their roles as Timothy McGee, Alden Parker, Nick Torres, Jimmy Palmer, Kasie Hines and Jessica Knight.

When And Where To Watch NCIS Season 24?

NCIS Season 24 premieres on CBS on October 6 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. New episodes will air weekly on Tuesdays. Episodes will also be available to stream on Paramount+.

FAQs

Q. Who is not returning for NCIS Season 24?

Rocky Carroll and Cote de Pablo are not returning as regular cast members.

Q. Is Michael Weatherly returning to NCIS Season 24?

Yes. Michael Weatherly returns as Tony DiNozzo with a season-long storyline.

Q. Why is Rocky Carroll not in NCIS Season 24?

His character, Leon Vance, was killed during Season 23.

Q. Is Cote de Pablo returning as Ziva in Season 24?

No. Ziva remains in Boston with her daughter Tali.