Michael Weatherly returns to NCIS this fall, but fans should expect a different Tony DiNozzo than the one who left the bullpen years ago. The actor credits his Paramount+ spinoff with Cote de Pablo, Tony & Ziva, for transforming his character into someone “new and improved.”
Michael Weatherly says Tony DiNozzo is more mature and thoughtful in NCIS Season 24
The 24th season of the CBS procedural premieres on October 6, and Michael Weatherly returns as part of a bigger Tuesday night lineup. He points to LL COOL J leading NCIS: New York and Mark Harmon’s regular on-camera role in Origins as reasons the network is building something special. “If you look at Mark Harmon is the OG, and LL COOL J is the OG before there were OG, I’m just happy that they invited me to this party,” he told TV Insider.
But the real transformation happened across the Atlantic. Weatherly explains that the spinoff gave audiences a window into a side of DiNozzo they had never seen before. “NCIS: Tony & Ziva gave us a window into the emotional, paternal, responsible, mature side of DiNozzo,” Weatherly shared. Viewers watched him run a company, raise a daughter, and make choices driven by more than ego.
One year after those European events, DiNozzo wants to open a satellite office for his private security firm in D.C. Weatherly promises the character retains his signature movie quotes and energy, but something fundamental has shifted. “Rather than an instant knee-jerk reaction, he [now] takes a beat and thinks,” Weatherly notes, citing DiNozzo’s relationship with his father, his mentorship under Gibbs, and fatherhood as key influences.
Most of the current team is unfamiliar with DiNozzo, including Alden Parker, Nick Torres, Jessica Knight, and Kasie Hines. He reunites with Tim McGee and Dr. Jimmy Palmer, and Weatherly confirms that a new Mc-nickname is coming. Still, he insists the reunion avoids getting “wrapped in nostalgia.”
The premiere also addresses last season’s cliffhanger involving McGee’s son, Mateo, and a gunshot. DiNozzo will certainly have thoughts about that.
