Mark Harmon was the face of theNCISfranchise for almost two decades before he exited the original series, and now he is set to reprise his role as Leroy Jethro Gibbs inNCIS: Origins. The upcomingNCISprequel series premieres on Monday, October 14, at 9 pm ET on CBS. Itrevolves around Gibbs' early days with the United States Naval Investigative Service (NIS),the precursor to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). As a result, one doesn’t really need towatch the originalNCISshow in orderto understandNCIS: Origins.
NCIS: Originsis the sixth installment and the fifth spinoff in theNCISfranchise, following in the footsteps of original seriesNCISand the spinoffsNCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans, NCIS: Hawai’i,andNCIS: Sydney.
Austin Stowell is headliningtheNCIS: Originscastas a younger version of Gibbs. The prequel willtake place in the early 1990s and begin with Gibbs just starting his career as a special agentat the NIS Camp Pendleton office. Aside from Gibbs,NCISfans will recognize one more name in the upcoming CBS military police procedural show — Mike Franks. Franks, played by Muse Watson in the original series, was Gibbs' mentor who appeared in 20 episodes ofNCIS. Now, viewers will learn more about the origins of Gibbs and Franks' relationship, and Harmon will be along for the ride.
NCIS: Origins Needs Mark Harmon’s Gibbs More Than NCIS Season 22 Does
NCIS Is Doing Fine Without Gibbs
Mark Harmon is returning forNCIS: Originsand notNCISfor one important reason — the prequel needs the actor much more than the original series with 20-plus seasons. Of course, Harmon’s Gibbs is a significant part ofNCIS’s history as he appeared in over 430 episodes. However, just because Gibbs played a big role in the main show’s success doesn’t mean he’s the only reason it has been triumphant.Harmon has been gone for over three seasons andNCISis still performing wellwithout him.NCIScontinues to produce great ratings for CBS, meaning it doesn’t need Gibbs to save it from cancelation.
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Meanwhile,NCIS: Originsis a completely new seriesthat must find a way to appeal to audiences and entice them to watch. TheNCIStitle alone will bring in some fans. However, by including Harmon, even more people will be intrigued about the prequel.Harmon’s name holds a lot of weight in theNCISfranchise,and the actor appearing, even if only for one episode, should do wonders for the upcoming show’s ratings. CBS is seemingly pulling out all the stops to guaranteeNCIS: Origins’s success, especially afterthe cancelation ofNCIS: Hawai’i.
NCIS: Origins Offers Mark Harmon A Very Different Role Than An NCIS Return
Harmon’s Role Is Mostly Narration
CBS previously announced thatMark Harmon would serve as the narrator forNCIS: Origins. However, it wasn’t until a few weeks before its premiere that one of the upcoming series' showrunners, David J. North, revealedthe actor would physically appear in the prequel’s pilot episode.According toTVLine, North explained:
“That was a discussion between Mark [Harmon], myself, and [co-showrunner] Gina Monreal. I hope the audience will be excited to see him after so many years … We are focusing on him telling the story of 1991. As far as Mark appearing again, we are open to anything.”
So, not only will Harmon reprise his role as Gibbs inthe series premiere ofNCIS: Origins, but the door is also open for him to return on screen in future episodes.Harmon’s presence will be felt throughout the military police procedural show as the narrator.But seeing the actor versus hearing him are two very different things.
Mark Harmon
Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs/Narrator
Harmon’s role inNCIS: Originsis minimal compared to a full-blown return inNCISas his brief cameo will assumingly just establish the framing device of his narration as the older version of Gibbs. As a result, Harmon’s commitment to the prequel show is much less time-consuming compared to his physically reprising his role inNCIS. So, it makes sense why Harmon is returning forNCIS: Originsand notNCISseason 22.
Why Mark Harmon Should Still Return To NCIS Eventually
Harmon Needs To Appear In The NCIS Series Finale
Even thoughMark Harmon isn’t scheduled to return toNCISany time soon, that doesn’t mean he never should or will. As mentioned above, theNCISfranchise’s original series is doing fine without Harmon’s Gibbs. However, given the character’s importance in the show,seeing Gibbs would be a delight and a necessitywhen it eventually comes to an end.
Gibbs has been an integral part ofNCISsince the beginning, and it wouldn’t feel right to end the show without him there.
It’s unclear whenCBS will finally cancelNCIS, but when the network does, Harmon must be there to see the military police procedural series off. Gibbs has been an integral part ofNCISsince the beginning, and it wouldn’t feel right to end the show without him there. Of course, Harmon is always welcome to return in any future episodes. But if the actor can’t or the writers don’t see a way to bring Gibbs back before the end,Harmon still needs to reprise his role during theNCISseries finale,no matter how short or long his special appearance is.
Will Mark Harmon Ever Return As Gibbs In NCIS' Future?
Harmon Is Unsure If He’ll Return To NCIS
The good news is thatMark Harmon isn’t ruling out a return toNCIS. As of the writing of this article,there are no plans for Harmon to reprise his role as Gibbs in season 22 or beyond.Although a return is not scheduled for the near future, the door is open and Harmon has made it clear that he’s still unsure if he will come back to the originalNCISTV show. However, given the actor’s involvement with the prequel, it’s evident that Harmon would return if the producers asked and if his schedule allowed him to. In July 2024, Harmon toldTVLine:
“I have been asked [about returning to NCIS] a lot … I’ve always let the writers do what they want to do. Directly, like a phone call…? Not that I’m aware of. I don’t know [if I’ll be back for the eventual series finale]. I don’t think he’s still standing in the stream.”
Harmon’s final appearance as Gibbs inNCIS(aside from flashbacks or stock footage) came during season 19,episode 4, “Great Wide Open.“TheNCIScharacterdidn’t retire during his final hour, meaning it’s easier to come up with a reason as to why Gibbs returns. Unfortunately, only time will tell if Harmon is a part of theNCISseries finale or any episodes beforehand. Harmon will reprise his iconic role in theNCIS: Originspremiere, though, and he will continue to narrate the prequel (presumably) as long as it runs on CBS.
NCIS: Origins
Cast
NCIS: Origins is set in 1991, preceding the events of the original series. The series introduces Leroy Jethro Gibbs as a new special agent at NCIS Camp Pendleton. Under the leadership of NCIS legend Mike Franks, Gibbs navigates his role within a tenacious, unconventional team.
