Have Michael Weatherly And Cote De Pablo Been Planning Their ‘NCIS’ Return Since Last Year?

NCIS surprised fans with a Ziva (Cote de Pablo) cameo at the very end of Season 16. Looking ahead to Season 17, one of the biggest mysteries surrounding Ziva’s storyline is whether the series will reunite her with Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly). De Pablo and Weatherly have not said anything about a potential reunion, but there are rumors that they have been planning a comeback since 2018.

Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly team up for new show

Although they have not appeared on screen together since 2013, de Pablo and Weatherly started working on a new project in 2018. The pair, who played on-screen lovers on NCIS, teamed up to produce a new series on CBS called MIA. The two have been working on the show since last year, sparking rumors that they may have also been planning their return to NCIS as well.

The new series is about a homicide detective working out of Miami who used to be an undercover agent. The detective gets teamed up with a partner who does everything by the book, which does not mesh well with her style.

The show is expected to premiere sometime this year on CBS. While de Pablo and Weatherly are serving as producers on the show, they have not said anything about a reunion on NCIS.

Michael Weatherly hints at ‘NCIS’ comeback on social media

Prior to Ziva’s return to NCIS, Weatherly revealed that he thought Ziva’s death was fake. Taking to Twitter, Weatherly teased that he would reprise his role as Tony DiNozzo if everything else fell into place. The actor shared the note before he deleted all of his social media accounts, making it hard to tell how he reacted to Ziva’s return last season.

“Yes I believe Ziva is alive and I will always be ready to play DiNozzo when the time is right…” Weatherly posted.

While it would be amazing to see Weatherly return next season, the actor has a packed schedule. Apart from producing MIA with de Pablo, Weatherly is starring on Bull, which was recently renewed for another season.

Between his acting and producing duties, it is unclear if Michael Weatherly has time to appear on NCIS next season. If he does, his involvement will likely be minimal, though fans would still love to see him reunite with de Pablo.  

Ziva returns to ‘NCIS’ in epic fashion

Ziva’s return was teased throughout Season 16 of NCIS. In the episode, “She,” Bishop (Emily Wickersham) discovered Ziva’s secret office while looking into a cold case. Ziva then confirmed that she was alive by leaving Bishop a note, asking her to keep things secret.

After that, the Ziva storyline took a backseat and most fans thought her return had been bumped to Season 17. That all changed, of course, in the final minutes of the Season 16 finale.

Although the season finale focused on Gibbs’ (Mark Harmon) mental struggles, Ziva made a surprise appearance at the very end. In the final scene, Ziva appeared in Gibbs’ house to warn him about a life-threatening situation. We still do not know any details surrounding the mysterious threat, but the show is expected to pick up from there at the beginning of Season 17. 

What does the future hold for Ziva and Tony?

Until an official announcement is made, it is unclear if producers are planning to reunite Ziva and Tony. There is still a lot of mystery surrounding Ziva’s storyline. We do not know, for example, why she decided to come out of hiding or if she plans on telling the entire team.

If the threat is neutralized and Ziva can live out in the open again, it makes sense that she would reunite with the father of her daughter. Whether that happens on screen, however, is yet to be seen.

De Pablo left NCIS in 2013. Michael Weatherly continued on the show for another two years before departing to star in Bull in 2015. The two have not confirmed their highly anticipated reunion, though producers did assure fans that Ziva will play an important part in the Season 17 premiere. Beyond that, it is anyone’s guess if Cote de Pablo or Michael Weatherly will be brought back as a regular or guest.

NCIS is scheduled to return to CBS this September.