After his surprise Tony DiNozzo cameo, Michael Weatherly breaks his silence on his return to NCIS. Nearly a decade since he walked away from the CBS police procedural, the actor reprises his iconic role as the “Very Special Agent” in the recent David McCallum tribute episode. There wasn’t any kind of indication that he was going to make an appearance, since Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ was better situated to return, considering his longstanding friendship with Dr. Mallard.
Nevertheless, DiNozzo’s return in NCIS season 21 is a welcome development, and Weatherly celebrates it with a new social media post. Check it out below:
Being back on #NCIS was truly Amazing. 🙏 to @BrianDietzen @CBS & @ncisverse Seeing everyone behind the camera was a box of treasure: one glorious shining jewel was @DanielaRuah who is directing up a storm! #Ducky would have loved all the smiles! Gotta go- there’s work to do! pic.twitter.com/al8vVpEDdy
— Michael Weatherly (@M_Weatherly) February 20, 2024
In the image, Weatherly poses with director and NCIS: LA star, Daniela Ruah, who is confirmed to helm a couple of episodes in the NCISverse this year. Weatherly also commends Jimmy Palmer actor Brian Dietzen for co-writing the Ducky tribute episode with Scott Williams.
Will DiNozzo Return Full Time In NCIS?
DiNozzo walked away from NCIS upon learning about his secret daughter with former teammate, Ziva David. Realizing how important family is, Gibbs let him go. Since then, Weatherly hasn’t returned to NCIS until season 21 for Ducky’s farewell. He was chosen as the original character to appear because of DiNozzo’s friendship with Palmer, who was having a difficult time coming to terms with his mentor’s death. DiNozzo did maintain contact with Gibbs, as confirmed when Ziva returned to the show. However, that was the extent of his involvement since 2015.
Weatherly’s NCIS return can be bigger than Harmon’s, however, since he is better equipped to continue partaking in the police procedural moving forward. For now, however, it has been confirmed that DiNozzo is only meant for a one-off appearance, with no plans of reuniting with his old team anytime soon. That being said, the door is open for his return, especially now that he has reconnected with Palmer and McGee, and perhaps met the rest of the new team in the wake of Ducky’s death.
For what it’s worth, Weatherly has expressed his desire to return to NCIS, explaining that he feels like there are still stories left to tell for DiNozzo. With his own CBS series, Bull, now finished, the actor has more time to make this into a reality. Ducky is the last original character to leave NCIS, so seeing DiNozzo back would be a great treat for long-time fans of the show.
