The beauty of a franchise like NCIS is that there are many shows that are in the universe. This means that fans can sometimes look forward to characters from one show to pop up on another or do a crossover event. NCIS has been known to bring characters back, both from the Mothership and its spinoffs, some more than others. LL Cool J’s Special Agent Sam Hanna recurred on NCIS: Hawai’i after NCIS: Los Angeles ended, and he even returned to NCIS last season and will again on the 2026 TV schedule. But could they ever bring him back on a full-time basis?
The new promo for next week’s episode of NCIS confirmed that Sam is coming back once again. The rapper starred on NCIS: LA for all 14 seasons from 2009 to 2023, and as previously mentioned, he was a recurring guest on Hawai’i for its third and final season on the heels of LA’s end. For the first time since LA ended, LL Cool J appeared on NCIS towards the end of Season 22 last year, and for those who thought that would be it are wrong. Sam makes a surprise return in next week’s episode when he’s found at HQ:
Producers clearly love Sam, otherwise they wouldn’t keep bringing him back, no matter the show. And it’s clear that LL Cool J has no plans to step away from the character and takes any chance he has to reprise the role. So this raises the question as to whether or not the series will ever bring him back full-time, especially since there is one big role that needs to be filled.
Sam Hanna Could Feasibly Be Vance’s Replacement
It’s been a few weeks since the 500th episode shockingly killed off Rocky Carroll’s NCIS Director Leon Vance by way of sacrifice. So far, the series hasn’t chosen a replacement. It’s likely that whoever replaces Vance will be shown on screen a lot, whether in a series regular or even just recurring capacity, since they are the director. Of course, it will be hard to replace Vance, but Sam could be a potential candidate.
He’s familiar with everyone; he definitely has the experience, and he's probably seen and done a lot on the missions he’s been on. This could also be a good way to bring on other NCIS: LA or NCIS: Hawai’i characters, or just get brief updates on them. Additionally, with his kids grown up, it’s not like he has to stay in Los Angeles, hence why he’s been to so many places since LA ended.
Even if it’s not as Vance’s replacement, the fact that NCIS keeps bringing Sam back could be foreshadowing something much bigger. That, or it’s just the show’s way to keep two spinoffs alive. It’s unknown when the show could reveal Vance’s replacement, but with Season 24 confirmed, this storyline could go on for a while.
If nothing else, fans can look forward to LL Cool J returning as Special Agent Sam Hanna in a new episode airing on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, streaming the next day with a Paramount+ subscription.
