CBS announced on Monday that Austin Stowell will be stepping into the shoes of a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs in the upcoming "NCIS: Origins," a prequel series delving into Gibbs' early days. Stowell takes over from Mark Harmon, who portrayed Gibbs for nearly two decades in the original series.
When "NCIS" first premiered in 2003, Harmon's Gibbs was the central character, a former U.S. Marine Corps Scout sniper who transitioned into a special agent, leading his NCIS team for 18 years until his final episode in October 2021. During this time, flashbacks featuring a younger Gibbs were often played by Harmon's real-life son, Sean Harmon.
"NCIS: Origins," slated for the 2024-25 season, will have Harmon, 72, narrating and serving as an executive producer. The series kicks off in 1991, 12 years before the NCIS premiere, with Stowell's Gibbs as a newly minted special agent at the NIS Camp Pendleton office.
Stowell, 39, is recognized for his roles in the 2021 rom-com "The Hating Game," alongside Lucy Hale, as well as in "Dolphin Tale" and "Bridge of Spies." On television, he starred in Hulu's 2019 limited series "Catch-22" and the police drama "Public Morals," sharing the screen with George Clooney, Chris Abbott, and Hugh Laurie.
In related news, Paramount+ announced on Feb. 28 that Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly will return as Ziva David and Tony DiNozzo in a new "NCIS" spinoff. This series, featuring the couple's daughter Tali, is set to premiere in 2025 after beginning production later this year. Weatherly and de Pablo expressed excitement about the "action-packed roller coaster fueled by love, danger, tears, and laughter" that awaits fans in the world of Tony and Ziva.
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