NCIS's True Vance Replacement Mocks His 18-Year Original Purpose

Published Oct 8, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT Ana Dumaraog is a Writer and Editor at Screen Rant, where she expertly covers Network TV offerings, among other things She has spearheaded the effort to make the site an authority on broadcast shows, initially starting with The Big Bang Theory franchise, NCIS, and One Chicago before taking on the specialization in general. Ana has also covered a wide-spread of topics in the past — from franchises like, the MCU and Star Wars, to classic TV favorites, such as Frasier and MASH. Ana brings clarity and enthusiasm to every story she tackles—whether reporting on new releases or offering deep dives into fan-favorite franchises. Her coverage translates complex entertainment developments into engaging, audience-focused content. Warning! Spoilers ahead for NCIS season 24.NCIS season 24 has officially chosen its Leon Vance replacement, and while it's supposedly a cause for celebration, it's actually an ironic choice. America's favorite show is back as part of CBS's fall 2026 lineup with a packed opener that honors its past and lays out its future. In the cycle's premiere, titled "Wayward Son," NCIS addressed the majority of the lingering questions from the past year, including Mateo's fate following his confrontation with Nick Torres. The NCIS season 24 premiere develops into a much bigger storlyline than just Mateo's actions. It resulted in a bigger crisis, with the SecNav's daughter being kidnapped and Gabriel LaRoche being instituted as the new agency director after the death of Director Leon Vance. All of these, however, were part of the set-up with regard to bringing back Michael Weatherly's Tony Dinozzo Jr. back into NCIS, as the rest of the hour became a reminder of how good he was on the job. By the end of NCIS season 24, episode 1, the former Very Special Agent is officially the agency director, becoming Vance's true replacement after LaRoche was booted out. While there's no doubt that Diniozzo heading the agency is so much better than Seamus Deaver's villain, the fact of the matter is, he is an ironic choice, considering Vance's original purpose for joining the Navy Yard office nearly two decades ago. Vance Became NCIS Director To Keep The Team In Line Rocky Carroll was introduced in NCIS season 5, as part of the transition for Lauren Holly's impending exit. Vance, then the assistant director, was sent to Navy Yard to sort out the issues brought about by the death of La Grenouille — a crime that was being pinned on Jenny Shepard and Dinozzo. When her predecessor was killed, Vance eventually took on the directorship full-time in NCIS season 6, but even when the original case cleared his people of any wrongdoing, he continued to have a more antagonistic dynamic with Mark Harmon's Leroy Jethro Gibbs, given their operational differences. Vance was more by the book than Gibbs, especially at the start of his tenure with NCIS. His earliest years with the show often had him reprimand MCRT when they went out of line, which was not unusual. Dinozzo himself mentioned this in "Wayward Son," bringing up the time that his predecessor broke up the team. Ultimately, Vance was more of a rule-stickler. Sure, he mellowed down in terms of his management of MCRT in recent years, even developing a strong friendship with Gibbs, but it was more because he understood the way he and his agents operated more than him changing his principles. Vance Was More Like McGee Than Dinozzo (& He Knew That) CBS The idea that Dinozzo is now the NCIS director is a great full-circle moment for the character. However, the roguish former special agent taking over the position after Vance's 18-year reign pokes fun at the late character's legacy of keeping the agency, primarily Gibbs' MCRT in line. This isn't to say that Dinozzo would be bad at his job or that he isn't capable of it. Despite his silly and playful nature, he's very equipped — something that Gibbs recognized from the get-go. That said, he operates more like Harmon's fan-favorite character instead of Carroll's. In fact, this matter was already brought up before during one of Vance and Gibbs' heated arguments. As Carroll reprimanded MCRT's leader in the episode "Collateral," he mentioned that NCIS "agents should look more like McGee than they do DiNozzo," referring to the pair's difference in the way they operated and overall demeanor. Gibbs retorted, saying "more like you than like me," acknowledging the operational gap between them. Beyond Harmon's tenure in the flagship, Vance tapped McGee to be the Acting NCIS Director when he was out of town or unable to work. Even in his final episode, he had nothing but praise for Sean Murray's character, making it clear that he was the agency's best replacement choice for him. Ultimately, having Weatherly fill Carroll's vacated NCIS cast spot is an inspired choice. It allows the show to lean on nostalgia while also solving the issue of replacing Vance. The ironic aspect of his return adds a layer of narrative complexity that makes this new season of the procedural so much more exciting. It is especially curious what this new era of NCIS will look like in the long run, as Weatherly is supposedly only contracted for this season. Enjoy ScreenRant's primetime coverage? Click below to sign up for my weekly Network TV newsletter (make sure to check "Network TV" in your preferences) and get the inside scoop from actors and showrunners on your favorite series. SIGN UP NOW! NCIS 6/10 Release Date September 23, 2003 Network CBS Cast Sean Murray Timothy McGee David McCallum Dr. Donald 'Ducky' Mallard Showrunner Donald P. Bellisario