Mark Harmon was the face of the NCIS franchise for almost two decades before he exited the original series, and now he is set to reprise his role as Leroy Jethro Gibbs in NCIS: Origins. The upcoming NCIS prequel series premieres on Monday, October 14, at 9 pm ET on CBS. It revolves 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 to watch the original NCIS show in order to understand NCIS: Origins.
Austin Stowell is headlining the NCIS: Origins cast as a younger version of Gibbs. The prequel will take place in the early 1990s and begin with Gibbs just starting his career as a special agent at the NIS Camp Pendleton office. Aside from Gibbs, NCIS fans 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 of NCIS. 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 for NCIS: Origins and not NCIS for 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 of NCIS’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 and NCIS is still performing well without him. NCIS continues to produce great ratings for CBS, meaning it doesn’t need Gibbs to save it from cancelation.
Meanwhile, NCIS: Origins is a completely new series that must find a way to appeal to audiences and entice them to watch. The NCIS title 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 the NCIS franchise, 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 guarantee NCIS: Origins’s success, especially after the cancelation of NCIS: Hawai’i.
NCIS: Origins Offers Mark Harmon A Very Different Role Than An NCIS Return
Harmon’s Role Is Mostly Narration
CBS previously announced that Mark Harmon would serve as the narrator for NCIS: Origins. However, it wasn’t until a few weeks before its premiere that one of the upcoming series’ showrunners, David J. North, revealed the actor would physically appear in the prequel’s pilot episode. According to TVLine, 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 in the series premiere of NCIS: 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.
Harmon’s role in NCIS: Origins is minimal compared to a full-blown return in NCIS as 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 in NCIS. So, it makes sense why Harmon is returning for NCIS: Origins and not NCIS season 22.
Why Mark Harmon Should Still Return To NCIS Eventually
Harmon Needs To Appear In The NCIS Series Finale
Even though Mark Harmon isn’t scheduled to return to NCIS any time soon, that doesn’t mean he never should or will. As mentioned above, the NCIS franchise’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 necessity when it eventually comes to an end.
Gibbs has been an integral part of NCIS since the beginning, and it wouldn’t feel right to end the show without him there.
It’s unclear when CBS will finally cancel NCIS, but when the network does, Harmon must be there to see the military police procedural series off. Gibbs has been an integral part of NCIS since 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 the NCIS series 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 that Mark Harmon isn’t ruling out a return to NCIS. 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 original NCIS TV 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 told TVLine:
“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 in NCIS (aside from flashbacks or stock footage) came during season 19, episode 4, “Great Wide Open.” The NCIS character didn’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 the NCIS series finale or any episodes beforehand. Harmon will reprise his iconic role in the NCIS: Origins premiere, though, and he will continue to narrate the prequel (presumably) as long as it runs on CBS.