Copyright Screen Rant
Considering the continued issues plaguing FBI franchise's new spinoff, CIA, it should be a clear indication that canceling FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International was a bad idea. CBS opened the 2025-2026 network TV cycle with a significantly slimmed down offering, only having the flagship return for new episodes. The original plan was for its new expansion show, CIA, also premiere in the fall, but that didn't clearly happen. Instead, CBS and Wolf Entertainment had no choice but to push the offshoot to 2026, as it was running late in terms of production. While Tom Ellis was cast early as Hart Hoxton in CIA, casting the rest of the ensemble found to be more challenging than perceived. Eventually, Chicago Med alum, Nick Gehlfuss, was cast as FBI Special Agent Bill Goodman. With Natalee Linez and Michael Michelle rounding up the cast as both CIA members, the show has finally been able to film in New York, until this latest development. CIA Continues To Be Plagued By Cast Issues Just when it seemed like filming for CIA has been smooth sailing for the past several weeks, news broke out that Michele has exited the series. The ER and Homicide: Life on the Street actor is supposedly slated to play the boss of the CIA's New York Station. No additional information has been revealed thus far about what led to the actor's departure from the series in the middle of production and a few months away from it premiering on CBS. Neither Michele nor Wolf Entertainment and CBS has commented on the matter. In fact, the abrupt cast exit continues to be shrouded in mystery, so that it is still unclear whether the role will be recast. For what it's worth, however, it seems like work continues for CIA and the network has no intention of delaying it again. CBS Should Have Established CIA Before Canceling FBI: Most Wanted & FBI: International Although some of the most popular shows on network TV, FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International were among the canceled shows by CBS in 2025. While not carrying the FBI banner, CIA has been poised to be the replacement for both shows, which is a tall order, considering how beloved the now-defunct offshoots were. Initially, there were plans for a backdoor pilot for Ellis' series back in spring, but that was scrapped, which, in hindsight, was not a good sign for the new show. Now, CBS has to settle with only 1 show from the popular FBI franchise in their current programming, when it could have easily kept both FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International, especially since pertinent details about CIA were still up in the air when it was canceled. Aside from giving the canceled shows more time to craft better finales, it would have also eased the pressure on the new offshoot to be ready in as little time as possible. Now, rebuilding the FBI franchise is a lot trickier because CBS and Wolf Entertainment are forced to release CIA even though it might not be totally ready. This increases the risk of the show failing, simply because it didn't have enough time to polish its storytelling. Enjoy ScreenRant's primetime coverage? Click below to sign up for my weekly Network TV newsletter (make sure to check "Network TV" in your preferences) and get the inside scoop from actors and showrunners on your favorite series. SIGN UP NOW!
