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 reprised 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 was a welcomed development, and Weatherly celebrated it with a new social media post. Check it out below:
In the image, Weatherly posed with director and NCIS: LA star, Daniela Ruah, who is confirmed to helm a couple of episodes in the NCIS universe this year. Weatherly also commended 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, 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. 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.
What Gibbs Is Doing Now In NCIS Secretly Revealed By Ducky Tribute Episode
Despite Mark Harmon’s absence in NCIS season 21, episode 2, the episode secretly offers an update about what Leroy Jethro Gibbs is up to these days.
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 viewers of the show.