- Mark Harmon will return to the NCIS universe to narrate and executive produce a prequel spinoff focused on the younger years of Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
- The NCIS prequel will feature a younger version of Special Agent Vera Strickland, who was once Mike Franks’ partner.
- Sean Harmon, Mark Harmon’s son, who helped develop the idea and pitch it, will not be portraying the younger version of Gibbs in the prequel but will focus on executive producing the series.
NCIS’ Gibbs Prequel Will Feature Another Character From The Original Show
The upcoming prequel spinoff, NCIS: Origins, which is focused on the early years of Leroy Jethro Gibbs, features another familiar character.
he upcoming NCIS spinoff, NCIS: Origins, will feature another familiar character. More than two years after Mark Harmon’s surprising exit from the long-running CBS staple, it was recently announced that Harmon would return to the NCIS universe to narrate a prequel spinoff focused on the younger years of Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Harmon would also executive produce the project, which would also include a younger version of Mike Franks.
According to TVLine, the upcoming NCIS prequel will feature a younger version of Special Agent Vera Strickland. The character was originally played by Nip/Tuck alum Roma Maffia in the NCIS season 11 episode “Under the Radar,” which aired in 2013. In that episode, which marks her only appearance in the CBS franchise, it’s revealed that Strickland was once Franks’ partner.
What To Know About NCIS: Origins
The prequel will unfold in 1991, centering on Gibbs just as he’s starting his career as a Special Agent at the NCIS Camp Pendleton office. According to summaries of the upcoming series, Gibbs builds up a gritty team that NCIS legend Mike Franks leads. Franks had a recurring role in the original series and was portrayed by Muse Watson. The character first featured in NCIS season 3 and would even appear to Gibbs as a figment of his imagination after Franks’ season 8 death to offer advice, showing his significance.
No casting decisions have been announced. It’s worth noting that Sean Harmon, Mark Harmon’s son, who helped develop the idea and pitch it, will not be portraying the younger version of Gibbs in the upcoming prequel. Even though Sean did portray a young version of Gibbs in several NCIS episodes, he will instead be focusing on executive producing the CBS series alongside Mark Harmon, David J. North, and Gina Lucita Monreal. The latter duo will also co-write the premiere episode and serve as showrunners.
There will be major continuity behind the scenes of the new NCIS spinoff, as North works on the main series alongside Steven D. Binder and will continue to do so. This is also not unusual for the network since CBS has found major success with the spinoff prequel Young Sheldon. Though it’s an entirely different genre, a Gibbs-focused show could find success thanks to the support that Harmon has built over the decades.
