‘NCIS: Hawaii’: As Michael Weatherly Rumors Gain Steam, 1 Co-Star Recalls a ‘Supportive’ Conversation Ahead of His Exit
NCIS: Hawaii is close to getting a direct-to-series order from CBS, according to multiple reports. But details about the potential spinoff are still hard to come by. The fan theories, however, are all over the internet.
One, in particular, stands out above all the others — the return of Michael Weatherly’s Anthony DiNozzo and Cote de Pablo’s Ziva David. As the return of Tiva gains steam, one of Weatherly’s co-stars has recalled a “supportive” conversation they had ahead of his exit.
The producers of ‘NCIS: New Orleans’ are in charge of ‘NCIS: Hawaii’
The news that the NCIS: Hawaii spinoff was in the works came on the heels of CBS’ announcement that they had canceled NCIS: New Orleans after seven seasons.
The details are still being finalized, but The Hollywood Reporter claims that executive producers/showrunners of NCIS: New Orleans — Christopher Silber and Jan Nash — will have the same roles on Hawaii.
CBS still has not confirmed that Hawaii is in the works. When the spinoff reports first appeared, insiders claimed the network was looking to hire the show’s staff writers. They were also looking for a pilot director.
There have also been reports that NCIS: Hawaii will feature a female character named Jane Tennant as the team leader.
Fans are hoping for the return of Anthony DiNozzo and Ziva David
As soon as the news broke that CBS was considering another NCIS spinoff, fans started calling for the return of two beloved favorites. They want to see Tony and Ziva again after it was confirmed in season 17 that they were still together and raising their daughter Tali in Paris.
This information was revealed when de Pablo shockingly returned for a four-episode arc years after she left the series. In season 13, Ziva was supposedly killed, which was the reason given for Tony’s exit. Weatherly moved on to the legal drama Bull, which is currently in its fifth season.
“But imagine if NCIS Hawaii meant that Tony and Ziva came back!” one fan tweeted. “Wouldn’t it be so cool if they brought Ziva, Tony & Abby back in NCIS Hawaii???” another wrote.
‘NCIS’ star Wilmer Valderrama recalls ‘supportive’ conversation with Michael Weatherly
As fans remain hopeful for the return of Tony and Ziva, NCIS star Wilmer Valderrama took to Instagram to pay tribute to his predecessor. Valderrama joined the cast as an undercover agent in 2016 just after Weatherly left.
But, the That 70’s Show alum did get to meet Weatherly during a set visit when he was wrapping up his storyline.
“So, I think Michael is fantastic,” Valderrama told his Instagram followers. “I got the chance at the beginning, I think I came in on the 13th season. During that season I got a chance to see him launch Bull. We were able to have a great conversation, expectations and all that. He was actually really supportive and very empowering.”
Filling DiNozzo’s shoes wasn’t easy
Torres has been an important part of the NCIS team since his debut on the show, and he’s now in his sixth season. But joining a series after a popular character like DiNozzo left after 13 seasons wasn’t easy.
He did find success with the Torres character, though. And Weatherly gave Valderrama some advice about filling DiNozzo’s shoes on the team.
“He told me to just kind of run with it, have a lot of fun with the character and try to create something the show hadn’t done before,” Valderrama recalled. “I really respected Michael for that because he’s made such a home with you guys. I learned to appreciate him and learned to appreciate what he had done for the show.”
Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo are not against returning to ‘NCIS’
De Pablo has already made her return to NCIS, and it’s clear she’s up for more. It’s possible she could return for more episodes of the flagship series if it returns for season 19. Or, she could be part of the new Hawaii team.
“The greatest thing about this last episode is that Ziva doesn’t die,” de Pablo told TV Guide. “As long as a character doesn’t die, the character can always come back.”
Weatherly has also acknowledged a possible return to the series. In 2018, the actor tweeted, “I will always be ready to play DiNozzo when the time is right.”
NCIS airs Tuesdays on CBS.
