S.W.A.T. Spinoff Exiles Is Bringing Back 2 Original Stars to Reunite with Shemar Moore

There are two more familiar faces joining Shemar Moore in the new S.W.A.T. spinoff series.

S.W.A.T. Exiles was announced in May, two days after the show concluded following an eight-season run. PEOPLE has since learned that two stars from the original series will appear in the pilot episode.

Jay Harrington, who played David “Deacon” Kay in S.W.A.T., and Patrick St. Esprit, who played Commander Robert Hicks, will both reunite with Moore’s Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson in the spinoff.

Building out the cast are Lucy Barrett, Adain Bradley, Zyra Gorecki, Freddy Miyares and Ronen Rubinstein, who all join as series regulars.

The casting comes amid backlash from another S.W.A.T star, David Lim, who slammed the spinoff for not bringing back the full cast

In an Instagram post shortly after Exiles was announced, Lim, who played Victor Tan on all eight seasons of S.W.A.T., Lim said he “poured [his] heart into playing Tan” as he expressed his disappointment that he wouldn’t be returning for the spinoff.

“I’d be lying if I said the rollout of the new spinoff didn’t sting,” he said. “It was tough to see it announced just two days after our finale — with no mention of the cast who helped build S.W.A.T. from day one.”

The spinoff announcement coming just days after the show ended “felt like we were brushed aside when there could’ve been a moment of reflection and recognition — for the people who built this show, and for the impact it had on so many,” he continued.

“I may not know what the future holds for Tan, but I couldn’t be more proud of what we created together — our cast, writers, producers, crew… our S.W.A.T. family,” Lim said. “No version of this story can take that away.”

Execs have been teasing the likelihood of some familiar faces making appearances on the spinoff series since its announcement.

In June, Keith LeGoy, chairman of Sony Pictures Television, said bringing fan-favorite characters from the canceled flagship series over to the spinoff is something they’re “still figuring out,” according to Deadline.

“There is a S.W.A.T. family and that family is important,” LeGoy said at the Banff TV Festival.

“We would love to have other family members involved in some way, whether it’s all of them all of the time, some of them some of the time, or something in between.”

Sony Pictures TV President Katherine Pope has also weighed in, as she told Variety in May, “There is a clear world that we’re exploring here. We’re still putting it all together, but for sure, I think you can expect some of your favorites to be a part of it in some way.”

Speaking to the spinoff in general, Pope said that Exiles will be a bit of a take on the culture generation clash of Gen X versus Gen Z.”

“Where Hondo is all about duty, hierarchy and chain of command, the Gen Zers are a little more like, ‘I might need to take a mental health day. I want to talk about it. I want to understand it.’ It’s kind of our take on Top Gun Maverick.”

Per the official logline, Exiles will pick up after Moore’s character, Hondo, is forced into retirement.

Following a high-profile mission that went sideways, Hondo is “pulled out of forced retirement to lead a last-chance experimental SWAT unit.”

The unit is “made up of untested, unpredictable young recruits,” per the synopsis.

“Hondo must bridge a generational divide, navigate clashing personalities, and turn a squad of outsiders into a team capable of protecting the city and saving the program that made him who he is.”