Michael Weatherly Returns as Tony DiNozzo in the NCIS Season 24 Premiere

NCIS is bringing a very familiar face back to D.C., and this time Tony DiNozzo apparently is not just stopping by for a quick hello.

CBS has revealed details for the Season 24 premiere, “Wayward Son,” confirming that Michael Weatherly will return as Tony DiNozzo. The former NCIS agent arrives in Washington after opening a satellite office for his private security firm, putting him in the right place at exactly the right time to reconnect with his old team.

The premiere picks up as NCIS deals with the fallout from the shooting involving McGee’s son. At the same time, the team begins investigating a mysterious new threat against the Secretary of the Navy. That investigation ultimately brings them some help from an unexpected source — Tony.

And yes, we are already wondering what that first reunion is going to look like. Tony has a whole lot of history inside those NCIS walls, especially with McGee, and bringing him back while McGee is dealing with something involving his son gives the return a potentially more personal layer than simply having DiNozzo show up, crack a few jokes and help solve a case.

There is also the intriguing update about Tony’s life after NCIS. He now has his own private security firm and is expanding the operation into D.C., which is a pretty major development for a character fans have followed for years. It also gives Tony a very natural reason to be in Washington without making his return feel forced.

And come on now, you cannot casually give Tony DiNozzo a new office in D.C. and expect fans not to start asking whether this could lead to more appearances. CBS has only confirmed Weatherly for the Season 24 premiere in this announcement, so anything beyond that would be speculation. Still, the setup leaves the door wide open. Tony is no longer simply someone from the team’s past dropping in for one case. He now has business ties to the same city where NCIS operates, which immediately makes future run-ins feel a lot more possible.

The timing of his return also matters. With the team already dealing with the emotional fallout surrounding McGee’s family and a new threat against the Secretary of the Navy, Tony is stepping back into a version of NCIS that has continued evolving without him.

That should make his reunion with the team just as interesting as the case itself.

“Wayward Son,” the Season 24 premiere of NCIS, airs Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS and streams on Paramount+.