Tom Ellis' FBI Spinoff Series Loses Key Star
CBS’ FBI spinoff CIA hits turbulence again: Michael Michele has exited the Tom Ellis-led series as producers pivot in a new creative direction ahead of its midseason debut.
Another week, another shake-up for CBS's latest FBI offshoot. The new series is literally called 'CIA' and it just lost a lead before we have a firm premiere date. If you have been trying to keep up with all the behind-the-scenes switches on this one, you are not alone.
Michael Michele is out
Michael Michele has exited 'CIA'. She was playing the head of the agency's New York station, a key role in the show. No word yet on whether producers will recast or rewrite around the character.
The series still stars Tom Ellis and Nick Gehlfuss. The setup is very straight down the middle: Ellis is the fast-talking CIA officer, Gehlfuss is the by-the-book FBI agent, and they team up in New York to handle national security threats. Natalee Linez is also in the mix as a CIA analyst.
Cameras started rolling in September, and despite the latest change, production is continuing.
So what is going on with the schedule?
There have been multiple creative pivots already. CBS initially aimed to launch 'CIA' in 2025. Then came a showrunner swap: Warren Leight (best known for steering 'Law & Order: SVU') took over from David Hudgins (who ran 'FBI: Most Wanted'). After that, the network pushed the debut to 2026. Quick broadcast note: a midseason slot can land in early 2026, so the 'midseason' talk and the 2026 timing can both be true. It is a moving target, but the show is still on the way.
The bigger picture (and Michele's recent run)
'CIA' is part of Dick Wolf's ever-expanding FBI universe, which already includes 'FBI: Most Wanted' and 'FBI: International'. Michele recently recurred opposite Queen Latifah on 'The Equalizer', and this is not her first Wolf-world collaboration; one of her early standout roles was on 'New York Undercover'.
- Title: 'CIA' (an 'FBI' franchise spinoff)
- Leads: Tom Ellis (CIA officer), Nick Gehlfuss (FBI agent), with Natalee Linez (CIA analyst)
- Michael Michele: exited; she was set as head of the CIA's New York Station; recast status unknown
- Production: ordered straight to production in April; filming began in September; continues despite the exit
- Showrunner change: Warren Leight replaced David Hudgins
- Premiere plan: initially 2025, now bumped to 2026 (targeting midseason)
- Producers: Universal Television with Wolf Entertainment and CBS Studios
- Executive producers: Dick Wolf, Warren Leight, Nicole Perlman, David Chasteen, Peter Jankowski
Short version: the title is not subtle, the premise is familiar on purpose, and the creative deck has been shuffled more than once. If you are curious where this lands tonally with Ellis and Gehlfuss together, we will likely find out in early 2026.