NCIS: Origins Season 3 Cast: All the Major Stars Returning as the CBS Prequel Connects to NCIS

We had no doubt about Austin Stowell’s return in Season 3 as young Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Why? Because he’s the main star of the show. CBS’ official synopsis for the new installment states: “The series continues exploring the formative experiences that shape the legendary NCIS agent fans know from the original series. As Season 3 begins, Gibbs and his colleagues are facing the threatened closure of their Camp Pendleton office, while his romance with Lala Dominguez (Mariel Molino) continues to simmer.”

In Season 3, Mark Harmon is back as both narrator and executive producer. But that’s not even the best part. CBS has confirmed that he “is returning to his role as Leroy Jethro Gibbs – on screen – for all 10 episodes,” adding, “Season 3 significantly expands Harmon’s on-screen role, as the present-day Leroy Jethro Gibbs appears throughout the season as part of a new mystery.”

As fans can gather from the first slide, Mariel Molino is set to return as Special Agent Cecilia “Lala” Dominguez for Season 3. Lala is a very important part of the story, as confirmed by co-showrunner David J. North in a 2024 interview with TVLine. North noted, “The story [Gibbs is telling] is largely about Lala. It's about a lot more than just Lala, but she is certainly a centerpiece of this story that we've never known, about how Gibbs became Gibbs.”

Kyle Schmid plays young Mike Franks in Origins, originally played by Muse Watson in the main NCIS series. Schmid is among the returning cast members for the new season. Schmid’s 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 NCIS fans know all too well, Franks is a born leader with an unwavering moral compass who’s determined to find justice by any means necessary.”

Tyla Abercrumbie stars as Mary Jo Hayes in Origins, and she’s coming back as well. While chatting with TV Insider recently, David J. North teased Jo Hayes’ storyline, saying, “Mary Jo, of course, as a mama bear at the office, is looking out for everyone. And I will say that she learns about the kiss between Lala and Gibbs. And of course she has her opinions on that and the fact that Lala almost left to go be with Manny in witness protection.”

Diany Rodriguez will also step back into the role of young Vera Strickland, who was previously portrayed by Roma Maffia in the flagship series. Strickland is a “no-nonsense, sharp-witted Brooklynite who’s tough as nails and never minces words.” In the same TV Insider interview, David J. North shared that, “We’ll get a little bit more into Vera’s profiling” in Season 3.