The new trailer for NCIS: Origins effectively admits that it will have a difficult time succeeding if it doesn’t feature an appearance from Mark Harmon. After almost 20 years in the flagship series of the evolving NCIS franchise, the veteran actor walked away from the project that made him a household name. Harmon already had a solid career before the CBS procedural premiered in 2003, but being on the show weekly as the no-nonsense Leroy Jethro Gibbs catapulted him to a different popularity stratosphere. So when he exited the show in 2021, he left a massive void in the cast.
Since Harmon’s Gibbs retired in NCIS season 19, MCRT has moved on. Gary Cole’s Alden Parker took over the team, and while he has big shoes to fill, he has been doing a great job steering the new squad forward. Admittedly, Harmon is still missed in the main NCIS. Because of how he was written out, his return remains a favorite topic among long-time followers of the series. Gibbs will come back to NCIS, only this time, the franchise is going back for it. A younger actor will step into the character’s shoes, but Harmon’s appearance is still a necessity.
NCIS: Origins Trailer Physically Features Mark Harmon’s Gibbs
Harmon Reprises Gibbs Briefly In The NCIS: Origins Trailer
Despite Sean Harmon playing the role in the flagship show, Austin Stowell will play young Gibbs in NCIS: Origins. Set in 1991, the first prequel in the procedural franchise will reveal the beginning of the famed character in the agency. On the heels of his stint as a Marine and the devastating murder of his first wife and daughter, Shannon and Kelly, NCIS will show a different version of Gibbs, as he slowly becomes the fierceness leader that the MCRT eventually gets. Because of the period of the series, a recasting was inevitable.
Harmon, on the other hand, will still be involved. Aside from producing the show, he will also provide the narration of NCIS: Origins. This storytelling approach is inspired by another CBS prequel, Young Sheldon, which featured Jim Parsons’ version of Sheldon post-The Big Bang Theory providing the voiceover. Despite his supposed off-screen role, Harmon still makes an appearance in the NCIS: Origins trailer. His cameo is rather brief, since the marketing clip is focused on establishing Stowell.
Short as it is, this part in the NCIS: Origins trailer effectively admits the big challenge for the prequel — it will be very difficult for it to succeed without any appearance from Harmon. For almost two decades, he brought the character to life, and even after a few years since he left, he remains synonymous with it. This doesn’t mean that Stowell won’t be great in the role. He has the opportunity to make his own mark as the character, but that will take time. As it is, however, the public still associates Gibbs with Harmon.
Why NCIS: Origins Trailer Needed To Include A Shot Of Mark Harmon As Gibbs
Harmon Is A Great Marketing Tool For NCIS: Origins
NCIS is one of the most successful shows on Network TV. It was the most-watched existing series during the 2023-2024 TV cycle. That said, not everyone is aware of the happenings beyond the events of the flagship series. CBS has been launching spinoffs for the procedural for years now, and all the previous offshoots are easily understandable just from their titles alone. Things are different with NCIS: Origins, however. Aside from being the first prequel series in the universe, its title also doesn’t establish early on that it is a Gibbs-centric story.
Even though Stowell will primarily play the character on the screen, long-time fans of NCIS will be more inclined to check it out upon learning about how it’s tied to Harmon.
Gibbs is one, if not the most beloved member of the NCIS cast. That said, those who may not be aware of what NCIS: Origins may actually be about can be skeptical about the new project. Seeing Harmon somehow involved is a great way to sell his origins story. Even though Stowell will primarily play the character on the screen, long-time fans of NCIS will be more inclined to check it out upon learning about how it’s tied to Harmon.
Will Mark Harmon Actually Appear In NCIS: Origins’ Episodes?
It Shouldn’t Be Difficult For Harmon To Appear In NCIS: Origins
At this point, Harmon’s role in NCIS: Origins is purely off-screen. His narration will bookend every episode of the series, as it is told from his perspective. That being said, seeing him in the prequel’s trailer is a positive indication that the door is open for him to make a cameo. For what it’s worth, he doesn’t have to do much if they decide to show him in his new home base in Naktok Bay, Alaska. Seeing him can also provide additional context to NCIS: Origins’ story, particularly why he is revisiting arguably the most difficult years of his life.