As NCIS prepares to hit an incredible milestone — its 500th episode airing March 17, 2026 — the long-running drama is officially in “rare air.” (The entire franchise even crossed 1,000 episodes in 2024.) And with a moment this big, fans can’t help but wonder: Who might return?
In a recent chat with TV Insider, Brian Dietzen teased that viewers should expect some familiar faces.
“This season has been terrific,” Dietzen shared. “We do have some returning faces… I can’t say who, because that would spoil the surprise. But one of the things that makes NCIS so great is that familiar faces from the past can pop up at any moment — and that’s going to happen over the next several shows.”
With 23 seasons under its belt, NCIS has a deep bench of former characters to draw from — not just from the flagship series, but from its spinoffs as well. Recently, Adam Campbell reprised his role as young Ducky on NCIS: Origins after appearing on the mothership. And Roma Maffia returned as Vera during a crossover — and has said she’d gladly come back again.
The cast recently celebrated the 500th-episode milestone, with studio and network executives visiting the set in Santa Clarita.
“You don’t really understand the totality of 500 episodes until someone says, ‘Everybody stop. Let’s eat some cake and talk about what this means,’” Dietzen said. “There aren’t a lot of shows doing this. I feel really humbled and honored to be part of it.”
With such a historic episode ahead, the big question remains: Which character would you love to see return?