Get ready for a showdown, NCIS fans! Michael Weatherly, the actor behind Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, has been teasing his return to the hit crime drama for years. But now he is playing hardball with the show’s executives in his bid to make a comeback.
With his demands getting more and more excessive, it’s unclear if Weatherly will be able to pull off a return. One of the major sticking points is Weatherly’s desire to bring back another NCIS fan favorite.
Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Image
Michael Weatherly reportedly playing hardball with ‘NCIS’ executives
NCIS fans are on edge as Weatherly negotiates a potential comeback on the show. However, Weatherly’s tough stance with executives could put his chances of returning in jeopardy.
The actor has been teasing his return ever since his departure from NCIS in 2016. Now that his other series, Bull, is over, fans have been wondering when Weatherly will reprise his NCIS role.
Although producers would love to see Weatherly back in action, negotiations for his return are not going as planned. Inside sources told Radar Online that Weatherly’s demands are becoming too much for executives to meet.
In particular, Weatherly reportedly wants to see Cote de Pablo return as Ziva David. He also would like to see Robert Wagner back on the show. Unfortunately, executives are not on board with Weatherly’s demands, which could threaten his own comeback.
“Michael loves to stir things up and get fans excited about his comeback, but he’s doing himself no favors by being so demanding,” an insider dished. “The bosses are tearing their hair out over their terms.”
The former ‘NCIS’ star continues to tease fans about his return to the crime drama
NCIS fans will always remember Weatherly as the charismatic “Very Special Agent” Tony DiNozzo, who departed the show back in 2016 following 13 seasons.
Since then, Weatherly has been keeping busy with his role on the CBS drama Bull. With that show set to wrap up its six-season run later this month, the door is wide open for Weatherly’s return to NCIS.
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CBS has not confirmed the reports surrounding Weatherly. The actor, however, has been very vocal about returning since the day he left. Prior to the airing of his final scene as Tony, Weatherly told People that he would love to come back someday.
“Yes, well, I believe in the franchise of NCIS very much…” he explained. “I would absolutely be open to anything and everything – including things that no one’s even thought of yet. So, I would say the long answer is yes.”
There’s no doubt that fans would love to see Weatherly return as Tony. It remains to be seen if de Pablo is willing to return as Ziva, though pairing those two up again would make sense.
Michael Weatherly has been talking about his return to the show since he left
It has been a handful of years since NCIS fans last saw Weatherly in action. While he has been active with other projects, Weatherly has not been afraid to speak his mind about returning to NCIS.
Back in 2018, for instance, Weatherly took to Twitter to tease fans about a potential return to NCIS. Although he didn’t set a firm return date, Weatherly assured his followers that he’ll be back when the “time is right.”
After de Pablo came back in 2019, viewers wondered if Tony and Ziva would get screen time together. Weatherly stoked the rumors by posting a video for his co-star with a fan of the show.
Based on his comments, it seems like it will only be a matter of time before Weatherly returns to NCIS. The only hurdle that remains is negotiating his return, which hopefully gets resolved soon.
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