The Criminal Minds Actor Fans Want To Replace Gibbs On NCIS

Having consistent acting work for two decades is a significant accomplishment. To have regular work on the same television show for that length of time, though? That's nearly unheard of unless your name happens to be Mark Harmon.

Since the first episode of "NCIS," Harmon has portrayed Special Agent Leroy Gibbs, solving more cases than most people can count. However, it's only natural to have one eye toward retirement when you've been on the force as long as Gibbs. There have long been rumors that Harmon could step down from his long-running TV role any day now, but the actor has defied expectations at every turn so far. Even during the Season 18 finale, when Gibbs was on a boat that went up in flames, he made it to shore by the end. 

Harmon will definitely have a role to play in "NCIS" Season 19, but it's unclear how much longer he'll go beyond that. Even if Harmon quits, the show has a stellar ensemble to take his place, and someone else can always join the fray to take on the "Gibbs role." No one could ever replace Harmon, but someone could join the cast to offer wisdom and be strategic when things become emotional for everyone else. There are plenty of options out there, but fans have one person in mind. And the best part is that he's already familiar to fans of CBS procedurals.

Fans may not accept an entirely new character to take Gibbs' spot. But it'd be intriguing to see the reaction if they brought in a character people are already somewhat familiar with. Redditor u/Classic-Bowl-9940 started a thread offering their suggestion for the next Gibbs — Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson). Gibson had been on the cast of "Criminal Minds" since the beginning, but after a physical altercation with a writer and other unscrupulous behavior (via Variety), his character was written off the show. It's unclear if CBS would want to work with Gibson again after such an incident, but some Redditors think he'd be great to bring back from a storytelling perspective.

u/Classic-Bowl-9940 writes, "[It'd] be interesting....Great leader, smart and watches over his team but also emotionally distant at times." Fans quickly pointed to Gibson's personal life, and a few other contenders enter the discussion. One of the most intriguing comes from u/kfward223, who writes, "Tony DiNozzo return." For those who don't know, Tony, played by Michael Weatherly, left "NCIS" in Season 13 to take care of his daughter and look for answers to his partner's death. He's still alive in this universe to come back, and his return would undoubtedly be an emotional one.

Then there are the fans who think "NCIS" should end with Gibbs. Numerous Redditors have the same opinion that you can't have the show without Gibbs, and if he looks to call it a day in the near future, perhaps "NCIS" should close out with him. There are many directions those behind the scenes can take, and hopefully, Gibbs is done justice.