6 Actors Who Could Play Young Gibbs in 'NCIS' Spinoff

Megan Behnke

01/10/2024 05:25 pm EST

With NCIS: Origins on the horizon, who will play young Leroy Jethro Gibbs? The new NCIS prequel will center on Gibbs' early days in NCIS when he was just starting out in the career. The series takes place in 1991, and Mark Harmon will only be narrating the series. His son, Sean Harmon, portrayed young Gibbs in flashbacks in multiple episodes of the Mothership series but will be taking a step back to focus on executive producing the prequel. Meaning that someone else will be taking on the Gibbs mantle.

It's hard to step into the shoes of a character that is already established and so loved, but it must be done. Casting will be launching to find the new Gibbs and there is no telling just who will be picked and if they will go with someone who is relatively new to the industry or someone who is familiar to many. We have narrowed down a short list of actors in their 30s – since Gibbs is 37 in the prequel – who could play him. This is all opinion, but you never know what can happen.

Lucas Till

(Photo: Jace Downs/CBS via Getty Images)

Lucas Till is no stranger to CBS or procedurals. The 33-year-old actor portrayed the titular Angus MacGyver on the MacGyver reboot, which lasted five seasons before its premature cancellation. He knows what it takes to play an already-established character and put his own spin on it. Plus, it would definitely be nice to see him back on CBS, which could even give the show a new audience with those MacGyver fans still hoping for a revival.

Nicholas Hoult

(Photo: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Jaeger-LeCoultre)

34-year-old Brit Nicholas Hoult is fresh off Hulu's canceled series The Great, which makes him a great candidate for a brand new show. He is well-known in the Marvel-Sony universe as Henry "Hank" McCoy/Beast, meaning that he can do a lot of stunts, which would be beneficial for any NCIS Special Agent. While his movie schedule seems a bit packed the next couple of years, there's nothing from stopping him from filming during his free time.

Scott Eastwood

(Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

Scott Eastwood may not have a lot of TV roles, but that can always change. He was tapped to star in Chicago P.D. and even appeared in the backdoor pilot before ultimately being replaced. The 37-year-old actor is the exact age Gibbs is supposed to be in NCIS: Origins, and the series would give Eastwood the chance to really feel out TV acting. Not to mention the fact he is definitely more than capable to handle a stunt or two, going from his own filmography and that of his famous father, Clint Eastwood.

Sam Claflin

(Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

Sam Claflin is fresh off the success of Prime Video's Daisy Jones & the Six, and he is also known for The Hunger Games movies, so he knows what it takes to play an already-established character, even if it is an adaptation. The 37-year-old also has done multiple projects involving big stunts, most notably The Hunger Games and Charlie's Angels, among others. He is starting to dabble more in TV, so there's always the possibility a role as a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs could be next.

Dave Franco

(Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

Dave Franco just has the look that he could be a military man or an NCIS Special Agent, or both. The 38-year-old actor has done some action movies, but his range of acting, both on the big screen and small, is definitely impressive. While he does mostly film work, he has been doing more TV, so NCIS: Origins could mark just the latest TV role for him and maybe even open the door to many more.

Tom Felton

(Photo: Jun Sato/WireImage)

Tom Felton is more than just Draco Malfoy. The 36-year-old Harry Potter actor has an extensive filmography in both film and TV. Of course, with his role in the Harry Potter franchise as well as Julian Albert/Alchemy on The CW's The Flash, he knows a thing or two about playing characters that people know and love. He also has a lot of experience doing stunt work, which is always a plus for a show like NCIS: Origins.

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