NCIS S24: Michael Weatherly on Timing Being Right for Tony's Return
· BCPosted in: CBS, TV | Tagged: NCIS
NCIS S24: Michael Weatherly on Timing Being Right for Tony's Return
With what his character has been through, Michael Weatherly explains why CBS's NCIS Season 24 was the right time for Tony DiNozzo's return.
Published Mon, 14 Sep 2026 17:37:09 -0500
by Ray Flook
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Article Summary
- Michael Weatherly says NCIS Season 24 is the right time for Tony DiNozzo’s return after major personal growth.
- Weatherly explains NCIS: Tony & Ziva showed a more mature Tony, shaped by fatherhood, business, and family stakes.
- In NCIS Season 24 premiere “Wayward Son,” Tony returns to D.C. as the team faces a threat tied to the Navy Secretary.
- Tony’s comeback also follows fallout from the shooting involving McGee’s son, adding weight to NCIS Season 24 Episode 1.
Between LL Cool J on NCIS: New York and Mark Harmon on NCIS: Origins, CBS was already set to have an impressive "NCISverse" heading into the fall. But the return of Michael Weatherly's Tony DiNozzo for the 24th season of Showrunner Steven D. Binder's NCIS does an excellent job of completing the trifecta. Heading into S24E01: "Wayward Son" on Tuesday, October 6th, Weatherly shared another reason why the timing was right for Tony's return during an interview with TV Insider.
"'NCIS: Tony & Ziva' gave us a window into the emotional, paternal, responsible, mature side of DiNozzo. We got to see him running a company. We got to see him being a father and making decisions where he was not just ego-driven, but he was thinking about not just saving the world from an evil bad guy, but also saving his family from the disruption and the chaos that we all encounter in our lives," Weatherly explained, focusing on how Tony returns to the team a more experienced man, one year after the events of the spinoff. "He still has lots of movie quotes and spunk and verve, but he's also been through a pretty big learning curve. Rather than an instant knee-jerk reaction, he [now] takes a beat and thinks. He's had a relationship with his father [Robert Wagner]. He's had a full arc of mentoring by Gibbs [Mark Harmon]. He's been a father," he added.
NCIS Season 24 Episode 1: "Wayward Son" Preview
NCIS Season 24 Episode 1: "Wayward Son" – While dealing with the fallout from the shooting involving McGee's son, the team investigates a mysterious new threat to the Secretary of the Navy and receives help from an unexpected source: Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), newly arrived in D.C. to open a satellite office of his private security firm. Written by Steven D. Binder and Christopher J. Waild, and directed by Diana Valentine.
Michael Weatherly is back as Tony DiNozzo for season 24 of NCIS, which focuses on the sometimes complex and always amusing dynamics of a team forced to work together in high-stress situations. Special Agent Alden Parker, a quirky former FBI agent who solves his cases with calm professionalism and sharp, sarcastic charm, leads the NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) team, which includes NCIS Special Agent Timothy McGee, an MIT graduate with a knack for computers who serves as a senior field agent; the charismatic, unpredictable and resilient NCIS Special Agent Nicholas "Nick" Torres, who has spent most of his career on solo undercover assignments; and sharp, athletic and tough NCIS Special Agent Jessica Knight, a formidable REACT agent who specializes in hostage negotiations and high-risk operations. Assisting the team is Jimmy Palmer, a fully licensed medical examiner who runs the morgue; and forensic scientist Kasie Hines. From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, these special agents investigate all crimes with Navy or Marine Corps ties.
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