Breaking: NCIS Prequel Casts Younger Leroy Jethro Gibbs – Details Inside!

Austin Stowell has been cast in the role of young Leroy Jethro Gibbs for ‘NCIS: Origins,’ slated to premiere in the upcoming fall season.

Set in 1991, the prequel series will explore the early days of Gibbs’ career in the Navy’s criminal investigations branch, a full 12 years before the events of the original NCIS series. Stowell’s age of 39 aligns with Mark Harmon’s age of 51 when he first portrayed Gibbs on the predecessor series, JAG, in 2003.

‘NCIS: Origins’ received a straight-to-series order from CBS in January and is expected to join the network’s 2024-25 schedule. The franchise, produced by CBS Studios, includes the main series, currently in its 21st season, the three-year-old spinoff ‘NCIS: Hawai’i,’ ‘NCIS: Sydney,’ the franchise’s first international edition, and an upcoming Paramount+ spinoff featuring former regulars Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly.

Mark Harmon, who departed NCIS in its 19th season, will serve as an executive producer and narrator for ‘Origins.’ His son Sean, who portrayed a young Gibbs in flashback sequences on several NCIS episodes, also serves as an executive producer.

The series follows Gibbs as he begins his career as a special agent at the fledgling NCIS Camp Pendleton office, joining a gritty team led by NCIS legend Mike Franks, originally played by Muse Watson.

NCIS veterans David J. North and Gina Lucita Monreal are penning the premiere episode and will serve as co-showrunners, alongside executive producers Mark and Sean Harmon.

Stowell’s previous credits include roles in Hulu’s ‘Catch-22,’ the Showtime-turned-Starz miniseries ‘Three Women,’ and feature films like ‘Bridge of Spies’ and ‘Battle of the Sexes.’ He also made a guest appearance in a 2010 episode of ‘NCIS: Los Angeles.’ Stowell is represented by Gersh and Yorn Levine.