Get ready to take a trip back to 1991 for Leroy Jethro Gibbs' origin story.
The "NCIS" universe is about to get bigger with the premiere of "NCIS: Origins," which will chronicle the early years of Gibbs' career in the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
"We are elated and honored to continue the expansion of the 'NCIS' universe in such a unique and unexpected way," said CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach (via Us Weekly). "Viewers can look forward to Mark Harmon returning to CBS to narrate the complex and mysterious backstory of Leroy Jethro Gibbs' early years in 'NCIS: Origins,' which will build on the rich legacy of this character while reintroducing fan-favorite characters and meeting new ones."
Fans may think they know everything there is to know about Gibbs, who was played by Mark Harmon in the original "NCIS." But showrunners Gina Lucita Monreal and David J. North assure us this isn't the case.
"This really is the making of Leroy Jethro Gibbs," they said. "And even the most dedicated 'NCIS' fans will discover that they don't know the whole story."
Harmon played Gibbs for 18 years on the thrilling police procedural before stepping away from the role in 2021. Young Gibbs will be played by Austin Stowell, who is best known for acting in films like "Bridge of Spies" (2015), "Whiplash" (2014) and "Swallow" (2019).
As The Hollywood Reporter points out, Stowell will fit snugly into the "NCIS" timeline. "The show's time frame, 12 years before 'NCIS' began, and Stowell's real-life age, 39, track with that of Mark Harmon (51) when he originated the character on 'NCIS' predecessor 'JAG' in 2003," the wrote.
"Origins" will join the ever-growing "NCIS" stable. The original "NCIS" is in the middle of its 21st season on CBS. Meanwhile, the spinoff show "NCIS: Hawai'i" is 3 years old. There's also "NCIS: Sydney," the first international edition of the show and an upcoming Paramount+ spinoff featuring the return of Tony and Ziva, long-time characters from the original series played by Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly, respectively.
