‘NCIS’: Michael Weatherly Returning Could Be in the Cards

Michael Weatherly will have the first TV season of his life off since 2003 since Bull is ending this week, or he could make his way back to work on NCIS. Weatherly starred as Anthony DiNozzo on NCIS for its first 13 seasons, then jumped to Bull without taking a season off. Now that CBS has canceled Bull, NCIS executive producer Steven D. Binder said it is possible Weatherly could return.

“I absolutely would love to do something like that,” Binder told TV Insider. “That’s going to depend on Michael Weatherly. He and I have talked over the years about it and he was always on Bull and [since] he was on Bull, it just seemed weird and not right.”

Binder recently spoke with Weatherly, who told him he would like to take a break since Bull is ending. “The last conversation I had with him was that he’s going to take some time off and rest because he went from a very difficult schedule on NCIS to headlining his own show for six years, through COVID,” Binder said. “But I can say that I consider him a friend, so it’s not a difficult conversation to have with him. It’s just a question of whether or not it works out.”

Weatherly made his debut as NCIS Special Agent Tony DiNozzo Jr. in the JAG two-part episode that served as the NCIS backdoor pilot in 2003. He then became a fan-favorite character on NCIS until he left at the end of Season 13 in 2016. However, Tony has been mentioned a few times since Weatherly left. In the Season 16 finale, Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) made a surprise return. Ziva appeared in the first four episodes of Season 17 until she left to rejoin Tony and their daughter in Paris. Tony’s father (Robert Wagner) sent a letter to the NCIS team to report that the DiNozzo family was happy in France.

After his time on NCIS wrapped, Weatherly did not take any time off before starring in Bull, a series inspired by Phil McGraw’s early career as a jury consultant. Weatherly starred as Dr. Jason Bull, who ran Trial Analysis Corporation to help clients’ lawyers pick the best jurors for their trials. CBS announced in January that Bull was ending with its sixth season. The series finale will air on Thursday at 10 p.m. ET. Meanwhile, NCIS wrapped its 19th season on Tuesday and will be back for Season 20 in the fall.

“It’s been my privilege to play Dr. Jason Bull but after 6 Seasons of incredible storylines, I’ve decided it’s time to pursue new creative challenges and bring his story to a close,” Weatherly tweeted in January. “It has been an honor to work with this talented cast, crew, and writing/producing team who helped reinvent the legal drama. Stay tuned for a big series finish… Thanks to all the fans from the bottom of my heart. You will always be a part of our Bull family!”