Harmon exited “NCIS” in 2021, after 18 full seasons on the crime procedural.

Mark Harmon will be back on screen as Gibbs in NCIS: Origins season 3

Harmon exited "NCIS" in 2021, after 18 full seasons on the crime procedural.

By Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at **. He began writing for EW in 2022.

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June 30, 2026 2:00 p.m. ET

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Mark Harmon; Austin Stowell on 'NCIS: Origins'. Credit:

Gregg DeGuire/Variety via Getty; Erik Voake/CBS via Getty

- Mark Harmon will appear in every episode of *NCIS: Origins* season 3.

- The actor will reprise the role of Leroy Jethro Gibbs in a "present-day mystery tied to his '90s Camp Pendleton days."

- Harmon previously played Gibbs on 18 full seasons of *NCIS*.

Mark Harmon is heading back into the *NCIS* universe in a big way.

CBS announced Tuesday that the actor behind Leroy Jethro Gibbs will return in season 3 of the prequel series *NCIS: Origins*. Harmon will appear in every episode of the season in a "present-day mystery tied to his '90s Camp Pendleton days in an action-packed story that unfolds all season long," according to a press release.

Harmon has previously served as the narrator of *NCIS: Origins*, which stars Austin Pendleton as a younger version of Gibbs. Harmon also appeared in the series premiere of the prequel show in 2024, and last played Gibbs on screen in an *NCIS*-*NCIS: Origins* crossover event in November 2025.

Mark Harmon on 'NCIS: Origins'.

Harmon debuted as Gibbs in a pair of *JAG* episodes in April 2003 that served as the backdoor pilot for *NCIS*. He then headlined *NCIS* for 18 full seasons on CBS, and exited the show in the fourth episode of season 19 in 2021.

The actor, who is also an executive producer of *NCIS: Origins*, also played Gibbs in four episodes of the spinoff series *NCIS: New Orleans* between 2014 and 2018. He also played a comedic version of the character in a 2012 episode of *Family Guy*.

*NCIS: Origins* showrunners David J. North and Gina Lucita Monreal previously told ** about bringing Harmon aboard for his season 2 guest appearance.

"In the end, Gina and I just went [to] him and said how important we think this episode is, how cool it is, how different it is that the network's never done anything like it, doing a crossover using time. And Mark said, 'Okay, let's roll,'" North said.

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"And the fact that he said yes and wanted to do that, it was just so meaningful and special," Monreal added. "Having worked with him on the mothership, and then to have him come up here and say David's words. It just meant the world."

Stowell also told EW that he hung around to watch Harmon step back into the role for the crossover event.

Austin Stowell on 'NCIS: Origins'.

Sonja Flemming/CBS

"You better believe I wasn't going to miss Mark stepping onto set as Gibbs for what might be the last time," the *Bridge of Spies* star said. "He knew we had been working all day with more coming at us in the morning, so in typical Mark fashion he told me to 'go home and get some sleep.' I reminded him that a very wise man once told me, 'Sleep is overrated.' He laughed and said, 'All right… now get the hell outta here.'"

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Executive-produced by North, Harmon, Sean Harmon, Michele Greco, and Eric Christian Olsen, season 3 of *NCIS: Origins* will air Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS this fall.

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