CBS Reveals NCIS Recast Of 139-Episode Veteran In New Trailer

Proof of how popular the CBS procedural is how it remains a major draw for the network — something that it has been doing for decades. In order to further capitalize on its popularity, the NCIS franchise spinoff started to expand, starting with NCIS: Los Angeles and then, NCIS: New Orleans. Admittedly, the southern-set franchise did not have the same prestige as its parent series, but it made the universe richer thanks to Gibbs’ connection to Scott Bakula’s Dwayne “King” Pride.

The seven-season NCIS: New Orleans debuted via backdoor pilot that had Gibbs and Pride reunite for a case that had ties to their collective past. It was revealed that they used to work together alongside Mike Franks. Dubbed the Fed Five, they were among the highly-accomplished NIS agents in the early ’90s. Now, CBS is revisiting that story via NCIS: Origins — the universe’s first-ever prequel, which tackled Gibbs’ early years with the agency, which would include his time with the specialized group of NIS agents.

CBS (via TVPromos) has officially released the trailer for NCIS: Origins season 2, episode 11, “Feelin’ Alright?,” offering the first look at young Dwayne Pride. Shea Buckner is joining the roster of new actors taking over established characters in the franchise, as he brings to life the new version of King in the prequel. Watch the video below:

Per the official synopsis for the outing, the upcoming case will see Franks’ team tackle a potential connection to an international smuggling ring. This is why NIS Panama agents are called in to offer some help, including Pride, who is supposedly also a newly-minted Probationary Special Agent in the agency but in a different camp. As seen in the clip, flashbacks of their earlier meeting include a brawl, and it’s clear that their conflict continues into their reunion at Camp Pendleton.

The arrival of Buckner’s young Pride is part of a larger narrative that sets up the eventual activities of Fed Five. Rounding up the team were Franks, Felix Betts, and Dan McLane. With NCIS: Origins season 3 now officially confirmed, the prequel has enough time to properly show their activities. As it is, there’s no more room to do their supposed legendary pursuits justice, simply because there are only a handful of episodes left in the 2025-2026 TV cycle, and the prequel still has a lot of stories left to tell. Taking Gibbs and Franks away from their Camp Pendleton base would have been too disruptive to the series’ ongoing storytelling.

Based on what was revealed about the Fed Five’s operations in the NCIS: New Orleans backdoor pilot, they likely functioned separate from their respective teams. This poses an interesting challenge for NCIS: Origins, as it will be curious to see how it will balance telling their specialized missions without totally abandoning what’s happening in Camp Pendleton. It’s also worth noting that telling their story will be a major timeline marker for the series, as it means that it will have to move its story forward and not stretch out this time in Gibbs’ life further in order to be faithful to the established NCIS canon.