NCIS fans were left devastated back in 2016 when Michael Weatherly decided it was time to bow out of the police procedural after 16 years.
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The 54-year-old actor portrayed Anthony 'Tony' DiNozzo on the show, who was a firm favourite among fans - but could he be making a comeback in season 20? Here's what we know…
WATCH: Michael Weatherly's Tony DiNozzo says his goodbyes to the NCIS team
Over the last year, the actor has repeatedly sent NCIS fans into a tailspin by sharing throwback photos of his time on the show alongside cryptic captions, sparking hope that he is keen to return. To add even more fuel to the fire, Michael wrapped up CBS legal drama Bull in May, which means that his schedule for the upcoming TV season is looking nice and vacant, meaning that he could be in the perfect position to make his return.
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What we do know is that NCIS executive producer Steven D. Binder is on board with the idea. Speaking to TV Insider in May, he was full of enthusiasm when asked about a DiNizzo comeback. He said: "I absolutely would love to do something like that. That's going to depend on Michael Weatherly.
Michael played DiNozzo on the show between seasons one and 13
"He and I have talked over the years about it and he was always on Bull and [since] he was on Bull, it just seemed weird and not right," he continued, adding that if it does happen, it won't be anytime soon.
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As he explained: "The last conversation I had with him was that he's going to take some time off and rest because he went from a very difficult schedule on NCIS to headlining his own show for six years, through COVID."
However, he left things on a positive note, adding: "I can say that I consider him a friend, so it's not a difficult conversation to have with him. It's just a question of whether or not it works out."
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