‘NCIS’ Fans Think Wilmer Valderrama Leaked Major Casting Update for Maria Bello’s Jack Sloane Replacement

As NCIS fans are well aware, Maria Bello is departing the CBS series. Her final episode is set to air on Tuesday night. Ever since it was announced she would be leaving the show, viewers wondered who will replace her character, Dr. Jacqueline “Jack” Sloane, on the team. According to the Cheat Sheet, some fans believe that Wilmer Valderrama, who portrays Torres, leaked who will be replacing Sloane based on one of his recent Instagram posts.

On Jan. 29, Valderrama posted a photo of himself and actor Zane Holtz, whom he starred in From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series. In his caption, he shared that Holtz will be playing Federal Agent Sawyer on NCIS. Since Holtz will reportedly be one of the team’s newest members, some fans believe that he may be replacing Bello’s Sloane. Valderrama wrote alongside the photo of himself and Holtz, “Together again, ladies & gentlemen… meet Federal Agent Sawyer.. [Zane Holtz], welcome to the #NCIS Team… long way from Dusk and Vampires.”

Emily Wickersham, who plays Bishop on NCIS, commented on the post to let her co-star know that she also has a connection to Holtz. She wrote, “But have you known him as long as I have? [Zane] 16-year-old friendship? Just trying to work the math out [wink emoji] Cc [Chelsea, Wilmer].” Of course, while fans have wondered whether Holtz will be Bello’s replacement, this is simply speculation as CBS has not yet confirmed how Federal Agent Sawyer will fit in with the rest of the NCIS squad.

It was announced in July 2020 that Bello (and Sloane) would be exiting NCIS. She originally joined the series during Season 15, as she first appeared in the fourth episode of that season. When she signed on for the show, she signed a three-year contract. Now that her contract is up, Bello is reportedly moving on to other projects. The actor has appeared in Season 18 of NCIS, currently airing, to wrap up Sloane’s story. During her time on the show, Sloane has been in a “will they, won’t they” relationship with Gibbs (Mark Harmon). With the character leaving, it doesn’t appear as though they will ever form a romantic connection. Executive producer Frank Cardea even told TV Insider that Gibbs would have to “work on with himself before he’s ready to work on a relationship.” Disclosure: PopCulture is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS.