The young version of Mike Franks has gotten his actor for the upcoming NCIS prequel series.
Dubbed NCIS: Origins, the new prequel series is set to arrive on CBS during the 2024-25 television season. It was previously announced that the cast would be led by Austin Stowell as a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs, the character originally played by Mark Harmon. It was also revealed that the show would bring back the fan favorite character Mike Franks, who was previously portrayed by Muse Watson in the original series; the character was killed off in Season 8. Per Deadline, it’s now been reported that Kyle Schmid has boarded NCIS: Origins to play the young Mike Franks.
The young Mike Franks character is described as “a proud Texan who all but showers in his cowboy boots and sports a perfectly coiffed mustache that’s as thick as his skin. As showcased on NCIS, Franks is a born leader with an unwavering moral compass who’s determined to find justice by any means necessary.”
Kyle Schmid previously starred in the TV shows Blood Ties, Copper, Six, and The I-Land. The actor has also had guest roles in the DC shows Smallville and Arrow, and he’s appeared in many other programs including Being Human, Lost Girl, and Big Sky. More recently, he guest starred in The Rookie.
Schmid’s casting in NCIS: Origins follows the casting of Mariel Molino in a starring role alongside Austin Stowell. Molino will be playing Special Agent Lala Dominguez, an original character who didn’t previously appear in NCIS. It seems likely that other familiar characters may also appear in the prequel series, but none have yet been officially announced. Meanwhile, Mark Harmon will reprise the role of Gibbs by serving as the narrator for the series.
A young version of Gibbs was previously played by Harmon’s son, Sean Harmon, in flashback sequences in the original NCIS show. Both Harmson are on board as executive producers for NCIS: Origins alongside David J. North and Gina Lucita Monreal. North and Monreal co-wrote the pilot and are serving as series showrunners.
Another NCIS Spinoff Moves Forward
As production moves forward on the prequel, the franchise will also gear up to further expand with another spinoff. It was recently announced that Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo will be back to lead their own spinoff focused on Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David. The spinoff will be set in Europe, and the show is planned for a streaming release on Paramount+.