For more than ten years, Michael Weatherly was a cherished character on NCIS. The actor’s recent social media posts have given fans hope that DiNozzo may make a comeback in the near future. Will Tony DiNozzo rejoin NCIS? Find out by reading on.
The long-running CBS police drama NCIS made its debut in 2003. The Major Case Response Team of the Naval Criminal Investigation Service, which looks into crimes involving the US Navy, US Marine Corps, and their families, is the subject of the program, which focuses on the personal and professional life of special agents. The third longest-running American primetime drama series, after Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order, is NCIS.
From Seasons 1 to 13, Weatherly played NCIS special agent Anthony “Tony” DiNozzo on NCIS. DiNozzo was a Senior Field Agent on the Major Response Team – originally led by Lethro Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) – and served as second-in-command. He was also the partner of NCIS special agent Ziva David (Cote de Pablo). David was introduced to the team after their fellow agent Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander) was killed off in Season 2.
Weatherly officially left the CBS drama in Season 13 (following de Pablo’s exit in Season 11). In an interview with TV Insider in 2016, the actor revealed that he started to think seriously about his exit after de Pablo, his on-screen love interest, left. “Their great dynamic, the badinage and sparring and flirting between those two characters and how they would swing from siblings to near lovers and back to buddies, that was gone,” he responded, “and then I got to the point where I felt I’d stayed at the party for too long.”
The 55-year-old actor continued: “I would look around the room and other people were really in sync and having fun. The show was a huge success, but I just suddenly realized that I probably had other things that I should be doing. And then the wanderlust set in. I directed a documentary. I have a production company. And I wanted to spend time with my family.”
Weatherly also revealed what it was like to inform his bosses of his looming departure. “I think initially they thought I was negotiating my salary or trying to box clever,” he recalled. “Then very quickly they realized I wasn’t and I wanted everyone to be able to prepare and put time into Tony’s leaving.”
So, is Tony DiNozzo coming back to NCIS? Here’s why fans think he’ll make a return soon.
Is Tony DiNozzo coming back to NCIS?
Is Tony DiNozzo coming back to NCIS? The answer is we’re not sure. DiNozzo could very well return for Season 21 of NCIS when it comes back (most likely in 2024 due to the ongoing writers’ and actors’ strikes). But neither Weatherly nor the show has announced anything concrete about Weatherly reprising his role.
Despite this, fans are very convinced that Weatherly’s latest post on X (formerly known as Twitter) is teasing DiNozzo’s return in the future. He shared a link to Jay Ferguson’s song “Shakedown Cruise” and wrote: “This song exists to remind you that one summer afternoon… in the late 1970’s… life was PERFECT. By the way- I feel like things are starting to happen. Things that will be very exciting. Stay tuned. In the meantime, listen to this.”
This song exists to remind you that one summer afternoon… in the late 1970’s… life was PERFECT. By the way- I feel like things are starting to happen. Things that will be very exciting. Stay tuned. In the meantime, listen to this:
AdvertisementAdvertisementJay Ferguson – Shakedown Cruise…
— Michael Weatherly (@M_Weatherly) July 27, 2023
The cryptic post comes shortly after the actor shared a photo getting the iconic “DiNozzo/Gibbs slap” (which refers to when his former boss, Gibbs, would playfully slap DiNozzo over the head). But instead of Gibbs giving him the slap, Weatherly was seen jokingly receiving the DiNozzo/Gibbs slap by a lifeguard at the pool. “Getting the DiNozzo/Gibbs slap from a friend. #lifeguard #ncis,” he tweeted alongside the photo.
Getting the DiNozzo/Gibbs slap from a friend. #lifeguard #ncis pic.twitter.com/ZfdiXGlfcp
— Michael Weatherly (@M_Weatherly) July 23, 2023
Viewers were quick to respond about how much they miss DiNozzo, as well as his co-star David Ziva and Mark Harmon, who have all exited the show. “We need DiNozzo and Ziva back!!!,” one X user replied. Meanwhile, another fan wrote: “The show isn’t the same without you, Cote and of course Mark. Would love to see a new scene that includes the famous DiNozzo/Gibbs slap.”
Back in January 2023, DiNozzo teased that his character and David’s may be a part of the 2023 season in some way. When a fan tweeted: “We all would rather look at you and Ziva reuniting and enjoying that moment,” Weatherly responded: “Stay tuned… for this might be an interesting year for such “moments!”
Stay tuned… for this might be an interesting year for such “moments”! https://t.co/K2RQOqjL4E
— Michael Weatherly (@M_Weatherly) January 1, 2023
In his farewell interview with TV Insider, Weatherly said that he would return to the procedural one day “if the story needed it.” He even expressed interest in showing up in other parts of the NCIS franchise. Before he exited, he appeared in NCIS: Los Angeles. “I wanted to do L.A. because I knew I was leaving,” he admitted. “I really wanted DiNozzo to touch all corners of the NCIS universe before I had to go.”
Even if Weatherly wants to come back to the show, production for Season 21 is currently halted because of the Hollywood strikes. On July 13, 2023, the national board of the Hollywood actors’ union SAG-AFTRA approved to strike. The union represents 160,000 television and movie actors. During the strike, actors are not allowed to work union jobs, promote their respective films and shows, attend press junkets, premieres and more.
The actors’ strike comes two months after the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) began their strike on May 2, 2023. The demands requested by the actors and writers are similar: They want better compensation for TV shows and movies, increased residual payments for their work on streaming services and regulations on artificial intelligence.
On July 7, 2023, NCIS actor Brian Dietzen (who has played Dr. Jimmy Palmer since Season 2) shared a photo dump from his recent trip to Greece with his wife Kelly. In the caption, he detailed his trip to Santorini, Naxos and Athens, but toward the end, he hinted at the status of NCIS filming for Season 21. After describing his trip, he added, “Now back to work … eventually? Til then, I’ll be on the picket lines.”
We’ll keep you updated as we learn more about when Season 21 will officially return and if DiNozzo is coming back.