Damon Gupton Cast As New Regular On Criminal Minds After Thomas Gibson’s Exit

CBS’s flagship crime drama Criminal Minds has finally found their man to help fill the void left by Thomas Gibson‘s abrupt departure. Empire actor Damon Gupton has just been cast a a new series regular, according to Deadline.

While Gupton’s character will not be the direct replacement for Gibson’s Hotch, his presence will inject new life into the BAU that it so desperately needed. Meanwhile, the showrunners are expected to announce the new top dog of the unit soon, and the position will likely be filled by one of the characters already on the series.

Criminal Minds executive producer/showrunner Eric Messer stated: “Our BAU family is growing. We’re excited to have Damon join the show and work alongside our amazing cast and crew.”

Other credits for Gupton include co-starring roles on The Player, The Divide, and Prime Suspect. Other notable credits include recurring roles on Empire, Bates Motel, Rake, and Amazon’s forthcoming David E. Kelly drama Goliath.

Eric Messer and the Criminal Minds team have been striving to revamp the cast of series regulars in the wake of Gibson’s unfortunate exit from the show. With former lead actors Thomas Gibson leaving, and Shemar Moore departing after last season, the CBS crime drama has been forced to undergo a drastic cast shakeup.

Returning to reprise her role as Prentiss, fan favorite Paget Brewster has signed on for next season. New cast member Adam Rodriguez, who previously starred on CSI: Miami, will be taking on the role of Agent Luke Alvez; while Aisha Tyler, who portrays Dr. Tara Lewis has been bumped up into a series regular role.

The current actors that still remain in starring roles on Criminal Minds include Matthew Gray Gubler (Dr. Spencer Reid), A.J. Cook (Jennifer Jareau), Joe Mantegna (David Rossi), and Kirsten Vangsness (Penelope Garcia).

Are you excited to see Damon Gupton as part of the BAU on Criminal Minds?

[H/T Deadline]