NCIS is bringing back a major franchise favorite — and it could finally deliver the update fans have been waiting years to hear about Hetty Lange.
The NCIS universe has narrowed lately after NCIS: Los Angeles ended and NCIS: Hawai‘i was unexpectedly canceled in 2024. A 2023 crossover reunited several characters, and LL Cool J’s Sam Hanna later joined Hawai‘i for a recurring arc. Now, his return is officially set — this time on the flagship NCIS.
LL Cool J will appear as Sam Hanna in Season 22, Episode 18, airing Monday, April 21, according to TVLine and the actor’s Instagram. Story details remain under wraps, but Hanna is expected to assist on a case with his signature no-nonsense style. Fans are also hoping the episode revisits the unresolved Hawai‘i storyline involving Jane Tennant and her dangerous former mentor.
But the real buzz centers on Hetty.
Linda Hunt’s beloved character was largely absent in the final seasons of NCIS: Los Angeles due to health-related limitations during the pandemic. The series finale teased a mission, with Callen and Hanna heading overseas to find her — yet viewers never saw what happened next.
Hanna’s return could finally change that. Even if Hunt doesn’t appear on screen, any update on Hetty’s fate would give longtime fans the closure they’ve been waiting for.
As NCIS continues weaving its shared universe together, this cameo might finally resolve one of the franchise’s biggest lingering mysteries.