Tony’s NCIS Return Just Paved the Way for Ziva’s Comeback 13 Years Later

Michael Weatherly has officially returned as Anthony “Tony” DiNozzo in NCIS Season 24, and his partner in life and crime-fighting, Ziva David (Cote de Pablo), could be next, according to a new status update. Both characters were formative members of Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ (Mark Harmon) team, and they reprised their roles in a 2025 spinoff, NCIS: Tony & Ziva.

Launching on Paramount+ as a 10-episode streaming series, NCIS: Tony & Ziva departed from the franchise’s standard network TV show format and was canceled after one season. The cancellation left fans hanging after continuing Tony and Ziva’s NCIS story. So now that Tony is officially back on the flagship, fans will naturally expect to see Ziva as well.

NCIS Season 24 Explains Ziva’s Fate

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After NCIS Special Agents Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) and Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) run into Tony at the crime scene, discovering that McGee’s son, Mateo Garcia (Patrick Keleher), has shot him, they team up on the investigation. That said, the proximity to Tony brings exciting updates about his life, including a promising status report on Ziva.

tony tells the NCIS agents he’s returned to Washington, D.C., to set up a satellite office for his private security firm, Salus Mondiale. He also reports that Ziva is in the Boston area, where she’s working at a language institute and keeping an eye on their daughter, Tali, who has started at a new boarding school nearby.

That said, Tony’s update confirms the entire family has relocated to the Northeastern United States, bringing them a little closer to home after the events of NCIS: Tony & Ziva, which followed the couple on the run across Europe. Now, they’ll likely stay a while, since the Secretary of the Navy has appointed Tony as NCIS Director.

As for Tony and Ziva’s romance, it’s unclear where it stands, especially as they live in separate cities. NCIS: Tony & Ziva left the door open for their romance to continue, though, with the couple agreeing to start dating again. Tony and Ziva presumably have some long-distance arrangement. That said, where one appears, the other usually follows.

NCIS Season 24’s Premiere Clears The Runway For Ziva’s Return

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Heading into NCIS Season 24, Ziva’s path back is clearer than it’s been in years. When Tony tells Nick and McGee that Ziva is in Boston, he adds, “If we need her.” So Tony says Ziva is nearby and implies she’s available for a case, the clearest foreshadowing NCIS could give for any character’s return.

Ziva left NCIS in Season 11, and she’s returned to the flagship once since then, for a story arc in Season 17. However, if Ziva returned to the flagship now, it would be the first time Tony and Ziva were back on the original series together, making for the perfect comeback and a real treat for longtime NCIS audiences.

Unfortunately, NCIS showrunner Steven D. Binder has said that Ziva won’t appear on the show. Instead, the show will reference her and make her feel like part of Tony’s life. That said, the series is already doing that successfully in NCIS Season 24’s premiere, so much so that fans may want more and demand an on-screen appearance.

Additionally, while Ziva’s return may be off the table for NCIS Season 24, its story has undeniably laid the groundwork for her comeback. NCIS has been on air for 23 years and has leaned into complex, multi-season stories to accomplish that longevity. So Ziva’s return could be slated for a future season, especially if Tony stays in the director’s chair