One of Chicago P.D.’s most familiar faces is trading the streets of Chicago for the shadowy corridors of international espionage. In a surprising casting move that has delighted fans, a beloved Chicago P.D. actor is joining Lucifer alum Tom Ellis in CBS’s highly anticipated FBI spin-off, a CIA-centered thriller that’s already generating major buzz across Hollywood.
CBS confirmed this week that the upcoming series — tentatively titled FBI: International Operations — will expand the network’s long-running FBI universe into the world of covert intelligence. While details remain tightly under wraps, insiders describe the project as a “high-octane spy procedural” blending the action and emotion of FBI with the sleek intrigue of Homeland.
Tom Ellis, best known for his charismatic turn as the devilishly charming Lucifer Morningstar, will lead the series as a former MI6 agent now working alongside the CIA on global counterintelligence missions. The Chicago P.D. alum — whose identity CBS is expected to reveal officially in coming days — is said to play a “highly skilled field operative” with deep personal ties to Ellis’s character. Sources close to the production tease a complex dynamic between the two: part mentorship, part rivalry.
Production sources tell Variety that the show’s creative team, led by executive producer Dick Wolf, aims to blend procedural storytelling with serialized character arcs — a hallmark of the FBI franchise. Wolf, who also created Chicago P.D., is reportedly “thrilled” to bring one of his actors from the One Chicago universe into the new series, signaling a rare crossover of talent between his two flagship franchises. “It’s an exciting full-circle moment,” a CBS insider shared. “This actor helped define the grounded realism of Chicago P.D., and now they’ll bring that same grit to a more global, high-stakes world.”
Filming is set to begin early next year in Budapest, a popular production hub for spy dramas due to its versatile cityscape and European aesthetic. The series will join FBI, FBI: International, and FBI: Most Wanted as part of CBS’s expanding universe of law enforcement storytelling — but this time, with an international intelligence twist.
Industry analysts believe the casting of a Chicago P.D. favorite alongside Tom Ellis could broaden the show’s audience appeal. Ellis’s global fan base, paired with the procedural loyalty of Wolf’s existing viewers, positions the new spin-off for strong premiere numbers when it debuts in late 2025. For fans, the move is bittersweet. While it marks the departure of a long-loved face from Chicago P.D., it also offers a thrilling new chapter — one that shifts from the precinct to the perilous world of spies, secrets, and shifting alliances.
If the early buzz is any indication, FBI: International Operations could be CBS’s most ambitious crossover yet — one that connects two television worlds and reminds audiences that even in a universe built on law and order, there’s always room for a little espionage.
