Michael Weatherly is officially back in action as Tony DiNozzo!
Entertainment Weekly has released the first photo of the 57-year-old actor in character for NCIS season 24, offering a new glimpse at his long-awaited return to the flagship CBS series.
While Michael‘s return was announced last month, the new report confirms that he will be part of a significant season-long storyline rather than making a one-episode cameo. It will be his first extended run on NCIS since he exited as a series regular in 2016, although he made a brief appearance in a 2024 episode.
Showrunner Steven D. Binder told EW that the writers are thrilled to have Michael working with the current NCIS ensemble.
“We’re beyond excited to have him return. Tony DiNozzo has always had a way of changing the temperature of every scene he’s in,” he said, adding that it will be entertaining to watch newer members of the team meet someone they previously knew only through stories.
The current cast includes Tony’s longtime teammate Timothy McGee, played by Sean Murray, alongside Gary Cole, Katrina Law, Wilmer Valderrama, Brian Dietzen, and Diona Reasonover.
Season 24 will find Tony back in Washington, D.C., where he is expanding his private security company, Salus Mondiale. His work will pull him into a new case that fits naturally within the NCIS world.
Steven also explained that Tony’s responsibilities away from NCIS have changed him. He remains charismatic and quick-witted, but raising a daughter has changed him.
“What made his return especially rewarding was exploring how he’s evolved. He’s still the charismatic, quick-witted DiNozzo fans know and love, but now he’s also a parent navigating life with a daughter, which has given him a little more perspective, maturity, and emotional depth.”
Michael appeared in more than 300 episodes across the show’s first 13 seasons. Tony left the team after learning that he and Ziva David, played by Cote de Pablo, had a daughter named Tali. With Ziva believed to be dead at the time, he departed to care for their child.
Michael and Cote later returned in the Paramount+ spinoff NCIS: Tony & Ziva, which followed the characters and their daughter in Europe while Tony operated Salus Mondiale. The streamer canceled the show after one season in December 2025.
NCIS season 24 premieres Tuesday, October 6, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. It will also stream on Paramount+.
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