While NCIS has a large cast of characters, it was clear from the pilot episode that Leroy Jethro Gibbs would be a fascinating protagonist to follow along with. Mark Harmon perfectly portrayed the tough former Marine Corps member and special agent with a bleak past, and Gibbs’s replacement after his last season 19 episode is still hard to accept.
Harmon’s other TV and movie roles include Ryan in Freaky Friday (and the upcoming sequel Freakier Friday), Dr. Jack McNeil on the medical drama Chicago Hope, and Detective Dicky Cobb on the 1990s police drama TV show Reasonable Doubts. NCIS fans still miss playing Harmon solving crimes and being there for his teammates on the small screen, and fans have come up with some ways that Gibbs could return to the CBS procedural.
Fans Think Mark Harmon Could Play Gibbs Again On NCIS
Leroy Gibbs (Mark Harmon) on NCIS
In June 2024, Mark Harmon was asked during the Television Critics Association summer press tour about reprising his role of Gibbs on NCIS. According to Us Weekly, he said, “I have been asked that a lot… I’ve always let the writers do what they want to do.” Then, when TVLine asked if it was officially communicated to him that he could be on the show again, he said, “Directly, like a phone call? Not that I’m aware of.”
Fans think the actor should reprise his beloved role, and some viewers have come up with some possible plotlines. Redditor @Edward_Kenway42 posted:
“I know a lot of us have pondered why Gibbs hasn’t shown up yet. Is it possible it has to do with NCIS: Origins? IF, everyone lives at the end of Season 1, I think we see Gibbs in the start of the next season coming back because of a case related back to his NIS days, that also brings older versions of Lala and Randy too (or it’s the murder of one of these two).”
Redditor @Last-Tender-4321 replied:
“You’re talking about Harmon returning to the mothership to help to solve a case? That’s been always my wish, to see him on screen one last time performing Gibbs, related with Origins or not.”
While it would be hard to see Gibbs come back without some other popular former NCIS characters he cared about, like Kate Todd (Sasha Alexander), he has so much experience that he could assist on any potential case. It’s easy to imagine him coming back for any future episode.
Another fan wrote they would be happy to see Gibbs working on a case with the NCIS team, which many people would definitely be thrilled about. One Redditor thinks Gibbs’s current life should be explored and wrote:
“I’d like to see the team in Alaska, looking at his life there.”
Although Gibbs is clearly happy in his last episode, NCIS season 19, episode 4, “The Great Wide Open,” there are still questions about how he spends his time. After all, he spent his life solving dark cases like the Intelligence Unit officers on shows like Chicago P.D., and it must not be easy to walk away from that. Since Harmon decided to leave the show, a brief cameo might make the most sense, but something would be better than never seeing him again.
Does Mark Harmon Appear Elsewhere In The NCIS Franchise?
Mark Harmon plays Leroy Gibbs in the NCIS: Origins season 1 premiere, “Enter Sandman.” He also narrates the prequel show. While it’s interesting seeing Austin Stowell play a younger Gibbs, it’s also fun to see Harmon come back, although briefly.
Harmon also played Gibbs in four episodes of the NCIS spinoff NCIS: New Orleans. In season 1, episode 3, “Breaking Brig,” Gibbs works with the agents to find prisoners who have broken free. He comes back for the NCIS and NCIS: New Orleans crossover event that takes place in NCIS: New Orleans season 2, episode 12, “Sister City: Part II.” In this exciting two-part episode, the characters look for Abby Sciuto’s (Pauley Perrette) brother Luca (Tyler Ritter). Gibbs searches for a terror playbook with NCIS characters Nick Torres and Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) in season 3, episode 14, “Pandora’s Box: Part II.”
Finally, Gibbs appears in season 5, episode 1, “See You Soon,” which finds Dwayne Pride (Scott Bakula) close to death. Harmon’s beloved character supports agent Christopher LaSalle (Lucas Black), who is trying to find Amelia Parsons (Ellen Hollman), the hitwoman who attempted to kill Pride. Gibbs says:
“Use those feelings. Make it personal. You do what you gotta do to get Amelia.”
In the best episdoes of NCIS, Gibbs proves that while he’s a hardened and gruff character in many ways, he has a compassionate side. While he might not appear on NCIS again, at least fans have gotten to see him a few more times.
