A Familiar Face Returns? Tom Ellis’ CIA Spinoff Offers Comeback for Actor Absent Since 2021

Tom Ellis will star in the FBI franchise’s newest show, CIA, and his status as the show’s lead means that he might be able to bring back one actor who has not appeared on-screen since 2021. CIA will be the latest addition to the Dick Wolf universe, also referred to as One Chicago, which features the FBI series as well as Law & Order and their respective spinoffs. To add to the excitement, CIA will also feature the same style of exciting storytelling that the One Chicago universe is known for.

Previously, Tom Ellis starred in Lucifer, where he and his costars brought biblical characters to life in a clever supernatural procedural drama. It is Ellis’ proximity to Lucifer and subsequent status as the lead of CIA that gives me hope that Lauren German might also appear in CIA. If Ellis is to bring anyone over to CIA, it should be his on-screen partner.

Tom Ellis’ Lucifer Co-Star Lauren German Hasn’t Acted Since 2021

Lauren German Last Appeared In Lucifer Season 6

Given her incredible talent at acting, it is surprising to learn that Lucifer‘s Lauren German has not acted since 2021. She last appeared in the Lucifer series finale after a brilliant six seasons. It is not entirely clear why German stepped back from acting and whether it was a temporary decision or something more permanent, but four years is a lifetime in Hollywood. By contrast, her co-star, Tom Ellis, has gone on to appear in a variety of projects since Lucifer ended.

In any case, the more time that passes between her projects, the more it starts to feel like a permanent choice. One possible explanation for her decision to pause acting could be because of the negative comments she received from the Lucifer fandom, particularly toward the end of the series, which may have soured her on being in the spotlight. While she did attend a fan convention in 2023, she has mostly kept a low profile, focusing on artwork and possibly working at her family’s vineyard.

The CIA Series Would Be A Great Way To Bring Her Back To Network TV

Lauren German Already Has Experience Acting As Law Enforcement

Even if it is just for one episode, the new CIA would be a great way to see German on network television again. This is especially since she would be starring alongside Ellis. She and Ellis have always had great chemistry, which is why an appearance by her on CIA would be really nice to see. In a surprising twist, she could even play an antagonist on the show, reversing her and Ellis’ roles from Lucifer, where she played the morally upright and compassionate LAPD detective Chloe Decker, and Ellis played Lucifer, the roguish bad boy, as her consulting partner.

Chloe’s dynamic with Lucifer was undeniable, and Tom Ellis’ CIA would give the two actors an opportunity to once again explore a similar dynamic in a completely different way. CIA will reportedly explore the impact of law-abiding agents interacting with those who prefer to bend the rules – of which Ellis’ CIA agent Hart Hoxton is one. With CIA being a brand-new show yet to premiere, there is plenty of opportunity to play with roles. Whether a permanent return to television or a single-episode guest appearance, German’s return to television would be a welcome surprise after her break of four years and counting – if she wants to, of course.

Lauren German Has Flashed Her Talent In Multiple Network Shows

German Has A Known Presence In Network Shows

Besides her time on Lucifer, German is also well-known for her appearances in several other network television shows. German had previously starred as Leslie Shay in Chicago Fire and Lori Weston in Hawaii Five-O. In particular, the One Chicago fandom loved Leslie Shay, and her shock death in Chicago Fire season 3 was the first major heartbreak of the series. Despite her character’s outsized impact on the show, German was killed off in the season 2 finale and confirmed dead in season 3, episode 1, so her time was relatively short-lived. Lucifer has been the notable exception of a lengthy show for German.

The only complication regarding a CIA appearance by German is that she already exists in the One Chicago universe. With CIA being an FBI spinoff, and FBI being connected to and having crossed over with the One Chicago universe (primarily through Chicago P.D.), it does technically create a canon issue. However, she could still appear in a minor role as a new character on CIA. Even better, it would be a fun and cheeky twist to incorporate a character who is Chloe Decker in everything but name only, creating the perfect opportunity for a Lucifer reference.