Tom Ellis' New Series Sets Up Major Crossovers With the FBI Universe

CBS is rolling out a fresh FBI spin-off called CIA, fronted by Tom Ellis and Nick Gehlfuss, and yes, two-way crossovers are baked in. The network is pairing the premiere with FBI's return from its holiday break, which is exactly the kind of scheduling synergy that tells you they want this thing to land big.

So, who is hopping where?

The plan is for characters to move between shows in both directions. On the FBI side, expect Necar Zadegan to pop in as Deputy Chief of Station Nikki Reynard from CIA. Over on CIA, FBI mainstays Alana De La Garza (Special Agent in Charge Isobel Castille) and Missy Peregrym (Special Agent Maggie Bell) will show up. Which specific episodes? That part is still under wraps.

Showrunner Mike Weiss, who oversees both series, spelled out the appeal pretty cleanly:

"Fans get to see their favorite characters flex their muscles in cases and in situations that can differ from their work in their ordinary worlds. And we get to expand the universe of BOTH shows - the CIA and FBI might be racing to keep people safe from various threats, but in crossing characters over, we get to show that both agencies are hard at work in the same city, on the same timeline, in the same shared reality."

Worth flagging for franchise watchers: Jeremy Sisto will guest on the CIA series premiere as Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine. That is a savvy way to hand the baton from one show to the other on night one.

As for how often these crossovers will happen, Weiss kept it open-ended:

"I won't say yet, but it all comes down to story and what helps us craft the best individual stories for the CIA and the FBI, respectively."

The lineup and the launch

CIA centers on Tom Ellis as CIA case officer Colin Glass, with Nick Gehlfuss playing FBI agent Bill Goodman and Natalee Linez as Gina Rojas. It pairs directly with FBI on premiere night, which should help funnel viewers straight into the new series.

• Who shows up where: Necar Zadegan's Nikki Reynard (CIA) heads to FBI; Alana De La Garza's Isobel Castille and Missy Peregrym's Maggie Bell (FBI) head to CIA
• Premiere night: FBI returns from holiday hiatus with Season 8, Episode 11 at 9 PM ET on February 23, 2026; CIA debuts right after at 10 PM ET on CBS
• Guest star alert: Jeremy Sisto appears in CIA's series premiere as ASAC Jubal Valentine
• Core CIA cast: Tom Ellis (Colin Glass), Nick Gehlfuss (Bill Goodman), Natalee Linez (Gina Rojas)

Short version: CBS is launching CIA with a full-court franchise press, familiar faces in both directions, and a back-to-back rollout that makes it very easy to stick around for hour two.