The NCIS franchise had confirmed that Dwayne Pride would be coming back to the universe. However, it also comes with a twist because it wouldn’t be played by Scott Bakula.
Buckner, who previously appeared in Only Murder in the Building‘s most recent season as Tony Caccimelio, will make his debut in Season 2 later this season. He previously appeared in episodes of The Backlist, The Rookie, and FBI.
The casting isn’t a surprise because it had been teased that Pride would make his return a week ago, but the show had yet to cast its Scott Bakula replacement. Since NCIS: Origins is a prequel spinoff to the universe, other popular characters have received the same treatment.
Other actors that have been cast to appear as the young version of popular characters include Austin Stowell as Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Kyle Schmid as Muse Watson’s Mike Franks, Diany Rodriguez as Roma Maffia’s Vera Strickland, Adam Campbell as David McCallum’s Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard, and Lucas Dixon as Joe Spano’s Tobias Fornell.
In NCIS: Origins, Dwayne Pride is a newly minted Probationary Special Agent from the NIS Panama office in the prequel series. He has a history with Gibbs (Austin Stowell), and the two must resolve their past tension as they go undercover on a case.
What Happens in NCIS: Origins’ Dwayne Pride’s Episode?
The upcoming episode is expected to focus heavily on the younger Pride. But it will also bring a reunion for the Fed Five task force, “a group of exceptional NIS agents who found fame after unmasking the Privileged Killer, Spencer Hanlon, in the original NCIS Season 11.”
The group consists of Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Michael Franks, Dan McLane, Felix Betts, and Pride. So far, Gibbs, Franks, and Pride have been cast, and CBS has been seeing actors for McLane and Betts. Bakula’s Pride made his NCIS debut in Season 11 episode titled “Crescent City” back in 2014. It served as a backdoor pilot for NCIS: New Orleans, which officially premiered later the same year.
In NCIS: Origins, NIS Special Agent McLane is in his late 40s. His character is “smart, authoritative, confident, with an old school masculine energy.” NIS Special Agent Felix Betts is also in his 40s, and is described as a “buttoned-up, likable and exuberant auditor and paper-trail genius from the Los Angeles NIS office, who is brought in to help a new task force.
NCIS: Origins airs new episodes on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS. They are available to stream on Paramount+ the next day.
