NCIS: New York follows Hanna (LL Cool J) as he investigates the death of his friend back home before becoming involved with the city’s NCIS team. Scott Caan stars as agent Nick Schaeffer, while Jennifer Beals portrays Assistant Special Agent in Charge Robyn Wells. The supporting cast includes Jacqueline Byers, Shane Harper, and Devin Druid.
Cool J revealed that he is eager to continue expanding the character’s presence throughout the NCIS franchise, as he begins a new chapter in NCIS: New York. During a panel at New York Comic Con 2026, in which ScreenRant’s Jordan Williams was in attendance, the actor expressed interest in appearing in all the franchise’s shows, leaving viewers hopeful that there will be potential crossovers featuring the star in the future.
The panel took place on October 11, 2026, shortly after NCIS: New York, premiered on CBS on October 6, 2026. Cool J appeared alongside fellow cast members as well as the series’ showrunner, Byron Balasco, to discuss the new project and its place within the larger NCIS universe and how it will affect the franchise moving forward.
Although the actor’s excitement leaves the door open for additional appearances, no specific future crossover involving Hanna was confirmed during the panel. However, his presence in other shows of the franchise is more than likely. Hanna has already established himself as one of the franchise’s most recognizable recurring characters. Cool J first portrayed the former Navy SEAL in 2009 in the original NCIS.
The actor also starred alongside Chris O’Donnell throughout all 14 seasons of NCIS: Los Angeles, which concluded in May 2023. However, the spinoff’s cancellation obviously was not the end of Hanna’s story. He also appeared in NCIS: Hawai’i, becoming a recurring character during the show’s third and final season in 2024. Cool J also returned to the original NCIS, further establishing the role he plays in the franchise.
Federal Case File · Open Since 2003 How Well Do You Know NCIS? “Rule #1: Never let suspects sit together — and never assume.”
🚨The FieldCrime scenes
🔬The LabForensics & Caf-Pow!
⚕AutopsyDucky’s domain
📋The RulesGibbs’ gospel
🛡The TeamThe MCRT
01
The show’s title is an acronym for the real-world federal agency its agents work for. What does “NCIS” actually stand for?
✓ Correct! NCIS stands for the Naval Criminal Investigative
Service — a real civilian agency of the U.S. Department of the Navy that investigates crimes
involving the Navy and Marine Corps. The show follows its fictional Major Case Response Team.
✗ Not quite! It’s the Naval Criminal Investigative
Service — a genuine federal agency under the Department of the Navy that handles crimes tied
to the Navy and Marine Corps. The other options sound official, but only one is the real deal.
02
For 19 seasons, the team was led by stoic, coffee-fueled Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Which actor played him?
✓ Correct! Mark Harmon played Gibbs, the ex-Marine sniper
and unflappable team leader, from the 2003 premiere through Season 19. Michael Weatherly played Tony
DiNozzo, Gary Cole later joined as Alden Parker, and Rocky Carroll plays Director Leon Vance.
✗ Not quite! The answer is Mark Harmon, the face of the
franchise as Gibbs for 19 seasons. Michael Weatherly played DiNozzo, Gary Cole arrived as Alden
Parker, and Rocky Carroll plays Director Vance — but Gibbs is all Harmon.
03
NCIS didn’t start on its own — the characters were introduced in a two-part backdoor pilot during an earlier military legal drama. Which show did NCIS spin off from?
✓ Correct! NCIS spun off from JAG, the long-running Navy
legal drama. Gibbs and his team debuted in the Season 8 JAG episodes “Ice Queen” and
“Meltdown” (2003) before launching their own series later that year.
✗ Not quite! The answer is JAG. Donald P. Bellisario’s
Navy courtroom drama introduced Gibbs and the team in a two-part backdoor pilot in 2003, setting the
stage for NCIS to become a massive franchise of its own.
04
Gibbs lives by a numbered list of unwritten rules. His famous Rule #9 advises agents to never go anywhere without what item?
✓ Correct! Rule #9: “Never go anywhere without a
knife.” It’s one of the most quoted of Gibbs’ rules and pays off more than once in
the field. (Rule #23, fittingly, is “Never mess with a Marine’s coffee if you want to
live.”)
✗ Not quite! The answer is a knife — Rule #9 is
“Never go anywhere without a knife.” Coffee is practically Gibbs’ lifeblood, but
the rule that’s saved his team in a pinch is the one about always carrying a blade.
05
The team’s beloved forensic specialist — a brilliant goth who runs on a giant caffeinated drink called “Caf-Pow!” — is named what?
✓ Correct! Abby Sciuto, played by Pauley Perrette, was the
heart of the lab for 15 seasons — pigtails, dog collar, and an endless thirst for Caf-Pow!.
Kasie Hines (Diona Reasonover) later took over forensic duties after Abby’s departure.
✗ Not quite! The answer is Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette), the
goth forensic scientist fueled by Caf-Pow!. Kasie Hines came along later as a lab specialist, Ziva
David was a field agent, and Jenny Shepard was an NCIS Director.
06
The team’s kindly, story-telling Medical Examiner is affectionately nicknamed “Ducky.” What is his actual name?
✓ Correct! “Ducky” is Dr. Donald Mallard
— Mallard, hence Ducky — played by the late David McCallum for two decades. His
apprentice and eventual successor in autopsy is Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen).
✗ Not quite! The answer is Dr. Donald Mallard —
“Mallard” is the duck that earns him the nickname “Ducky.” He was played by
David McCallum. Jimmy Palmer was his assistant, and Dr. Taft was a recurring surgeon and friend of
Gibbs.
07
Fan-favorite Ziva David, played by Coté de Pablo, joined the team as a liaison and skilled operative. Before NCIS, she was an officer with which intelligence agency?
✓ Correct! Ziva David was a former officer of Mossad,
Israel’s national intelligence agency — and the daughter of its director, Eli David. Her
deadly skills and mangled American idioms made her one of the show’s most beloved characters.
✗ Not quite! The answer is Mossad, the Israeli intelligence
agency where Ziva served before joining NCIS — her father Eli David even ran it. The FBI and
CIA are frequent NCIS counterparts, but Ziva’s background is Mossad.
08
The original team’s headquarters — the bullpen, autopsy, and Abby’s lab — is located at the Navy Yard in which U.S. city?
✓ Correct! The Major Case Response Team works out of the
Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C. The franchise later spread its spinoffs across the map
— Los Angeles, New Orleans, Hawai‘i, and Sydney — but the original calls D.C.
home.
✗ Not quite! The answer is Washington, D.C., home of the
Washington Navy Yard where Gibbs’ team is based. Los Angeles and other cities anchor the
spinoffs, and Norfolk is a major naval base often referenced — but HQ is in D.C.
Case Debrief · Stand Down Your Agent Rank
🛡
/ 8
Lead investigator — or still rinsing the Caf-Pow! out of the carpet?
NCIS: New York has already incorporated a familiar franchise character, which makes the chances of potential crossover events featuring Cool J very high. Brian Dietzen reprised his role as Dr. Jimmy Palmer in the premiere, reuniting with Hanna. His appearance establishes an immediate connection between the New York team and the original series, which could set up future collaborations.
Cool J guest starring in other shows would be relatively easy to do, as the character could be written into several storylines because he has already worked with multiple NCIS teams. With his experience and relationships across the franchise, it would actually make a lot of sense for him to show up in multiple shows without making it seem forced.
NCIS: New York releases new episodes every Tuesday at 9:00 PM ET and 6:00 PM PT on CBS.
