'Criminal Minds' Reboot on Paramount+: Everything We Know So Far

Two actors will not return

Two major stars from Season 15 are not expected to return. While Joe Mantegna, Kristen Vangsness, Adam Rodriguez, A.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler, and Paget Brewster are all close to signing on for Season 16, Matthew Gray Gubler and Daniel Henney are not planning to come back. Henney is busy with Amazon Prime Video's The Wheel of Time, although Deadline reports that he may be open to making a guest appearance. Gubler, who played Dr. Spencer Reid for 15 years, is more interested in working on other projects than returning to Criminal Minds.

Six Season 15 cast members will return

Six of the main cast members from Season 15 have agreed to return, Deadline reports. Joe Mantegna, Paget Brewster, A.J. Cook, Adam Rodriguez, Kristen Vangsness, and Aisha Tyler signed their deals. They only did so after Messer reached a new contract with ABC Signature, where she already has an overall deal.

The revival went through stops and starts

Paramount+ chief programming officer Tanya Gills confirmed on Feb. 1 that the Criminal Minds revival was still in the works. "We are still very much in development on Criminal Minds. We'll have more to share soon on that, but it is alive and well." Gill said.

Later, president of original scripted series Nicole Clemens told Variety she couldn't comment on star Paget Brewster's recent tweets about the show being dead. "As I mentioned, I came in in the summer and so it took a second to gear up and figure out, 'What are we doing? 'There's not a hidden monster under the water there. It's just been in its process, so it's in development," Clemens explained. "We have always thought it's a fantastic idea to have 'Criminal Minds' on the service, so that hasn't changed."

The revival is set to include a mix of original and new characters

News of a revival first leaked in February 2021, a few days before Paramount+ formally confirmed it. At that time, it was reported that CBS is trying to bring back some of the original characters, alongside new ones, similar to the format of CSI: Vegas. However, Clemens said on Feb. 1 it was too early to say who could come back with any certainty.

"We are still in development, so coming soon would be closing up all the deals, getting material. So we have time to go," she told Variety.

Paget Brewster said it was unlikely to happen before Paramount+ said otherwise

The reason why Criminal Minds' future seemed so ominous at one point was thanks to Paget Brewster, who played Emily Prentiss in Seasons 2-7, and Seasons 12-15. Back in July 2021, Brewster shockingly told fans she thought the revival was dead. "I'll let you know if there is any progress but it seems unlikely. Which is a bummer," she wrote at the time.

After Paramount+ said Brewster was incorrect, she celebrated. "When being wrong feels so right... I LOVE IT," she tweeted.

The season will follow one ongoing case

The new Criminal Minds series is expected to run 10 episodes and focus on a single case, similar to CSI: Vegas. This is very different from the format of the original Criminal Minds. The original procedural focused on a single case each week, save for special two-part stories.

Longtime executive producer Erica Messer is returning

The behind-the-scenes creative team is just as in flux as the cast in front of the camera. Erica Messer, who served as an executive producer and showrunner during the show's original run, is expected to return. ABC Signature and CBS Studios will produce the show. It's not clear if series creator Jeff Davis will be involved.

Paramount+ planned an accompanying true crime spin-off

Around the time the Criminal Minds revival was announced, Paramount+ also unveiled plans to release The Real Criminal Minds. This will be a spin-off focusing on real cases and real criminal behavior. A real former FBI profiler will take part, and a Criminal Minds cast member will host. Not too much is known about this project though, as it was not mentioned on Feb. 1. While we wait for more BAU adventures, the entire run of Criminal Minds is available on Paramount+.