‘Law & Order’: Vincent D’Onofrio Wants to Make a Comeback

With three Law & Order shows currently on the airwaves, Vincent D’Onofrio says his character could make a comeback. He originally starred as the beloved Detective Robert Goren for 10 seasons of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. While speaking on a panel at ICCCon, D’Onofrio was asked if there’s a chance of seeing Goren in the franchise again. It’s something he’s not closed to, but says the final decision is not his to make.

“That’s a question for Dick Wolf,” D’Onofrio said, per our sister site ComicBook.com. “But c’mon, what am I, an idiot? It’s a great part. He’s a great—look, Dick, seven, eight, nine episodes would be great.” Audience members showed their excitement with applause.

When speaking with ComicBook.com’s podcast ComicBook Nation previously, D’Onofrio was asked if he’d reprise the character. He also noted then that returning would be a no-brainer.

“Absolutely. I’ve made it clear to Dick Wolf that I would come back if he wanted to do a streaming six to ten or 13 episodes, I would be totally into it,” D’Onofrio said at the time. “To play a more mature Robert Goren would be really fun, and Warren Leight, who writes Special Victims Unit, was one of my favorite writers on Criminal Intent.“

He added: “I think he would be great, and also Chris Brancado, who writes The Godfather of Harlem, we first met on the last eight episodes of Law & Order. Yeah, I’d like to revisit it, but that’s up to Dick Wolf. I’ve made it very clear to him that I would, so that’s up to him, I really have no say in that.”

While Criminal Intent is no longer on the air, there are other ways he could come back via a crossover episode on one of the three shows currently on. He could make an appearance on either Law & Order, Law & Order: Organized Crime, or Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He wouldn’t be the first legacy cast member to do a crossover, with Christopher Meloni doing so recently. 

Criminal Intent aired from 2001-2011. The series followed NYPD detectives of the Major Case Squad as they used unconventional methods to solve crimes. Storylines were based on real-life headlines.