Cote de Pablo is once again at the center of one of the biggest questions surrounding NCIS: Will Ziva David return? As the CBS drama prepares for Season 24.
Michael Weatherly is officially returning as Tony DiNozzo for a substantial storyline, reviving interest in whether de Pablo could eventually appear alongside him. For now, however, there is no confirmed announcement that the actress will reprise her role this season.
The speculation comes after Weatherly confirmed that the events of the Paramount+ spinoff NCIS: Tony & Ziva remain part of the franchise’s canon. The series, which reunited de Pablo and Weatherly onscreen, followed Tony and Ziva as they navigated danger across Europe while raising their daughter, Tali. Paramount+ ultimately canceled the spinoff after one season, but its storyline has not been erased from the NCIS timeline.
That detail matters because Tony’s return to the flagship series will exist alongside the established story of his family with Ziva. According to recent reporting on Season 24, showrunner Steven D. Binder indicated that Ziva and Tali are currently being accounted for within the story, with Ziva staying near the town where Tali attends boarding school while Tony remains in Washington. The explanation keeps the character present in the fictional universe without confirming an onscreen appearance by de Pablo.
For fans, that distinction has fueled a fresh wave of online discussion. Ziva remains one of NCIS’s most recognizable characters, with de Pablo portraying the former Mossad officer for multiple seasons before leaving the regular cast. She later returned during Season 17 after the show revealed that Ziva had survived her presumed death.
De Pablo and Weatherly most recently shared the screen as Tony and Ziva in the 2025 spinoff. Following its cancellation, de Pablo reflected publicly on the long journey of the characters, recalling that she and Weatherly had no idea years earlier that Tony and Ziva’s story would eventually come full circle.
Meanwhile, de Pablo remains visible at fan events, with appearances scheduled for Heroes World in Brussels in October 2026 and Rhode Island Comic Con in November. Those appearances could keep conversations about her NCIS future active, but they are not evidence of a television comeback.
For now, the official picture is straightforward: Weatherly is returning, the Tony & Ziva storyline remains canon, and Ziva’s presence has been acknowledged—but Cote de Pablo’s Season 24 appearance has not been announced. Whether CBS eventually brings Ziva back will remain one of the franchise’s most closely watched questions as the new season unfolds.
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