After four seasons of chasing criminals across borders and building a loyal fanbase, FBI: International has officially been grounded—and co-creator Derek Haas is speaking out.
In a recent interview with TVLine, Haas addressed the show’s abrupt cancellation by CBS, revealing he was “sad to hear” about the decision and still doesn’t fully understand why it happened.
“I trust the instincts of Amy Reisenbach and Eric Kim at CBS, and all my friends at Wolf Entertainment,” Haas said. “So they must’ve had reasons that had nothing to do with the quality of the show.”
🌍 A Global Thriller Cut Short
Launched in 2021 as the second spinoff in CBS’s expanding FBI universe, FBI: International followed the Fly Team, a specialized unit tracking fugitives beyond U.S. borders. With its European setting and international cast, the series offered a fresh twist on the procedural format.
But after 78 episodes, CBS pulled the plug—just as the show was evolving with the addition of Chicago P.D. star Jesse Lee Soffer in Season 4.
“I loved what Jesse brought to the show,” Haas said. “He was a dynamic cast addition in Season 4.”
Soffer’s role as Wesley “Wes” Mitchell came after the departure of series lead Luke Kleintank (Scott Forrester), and his on-screen chemistry with Station 19 alum Jay Hayden (Tyler Booth) quickly earned praise. Haas didn’t hold back: “They were gold together.”
📉 Behind the Scenes: Why CBS Canceled Two FBI Spinoffs
While Haas didn’t have the full story, CBS President Amy Reisenbach did offer some transparency during the network’s upfronts in May. She emphasized that the cancellations of FBI: International and FBI: Most Wanted were financial decisions, not creative ones.
“Ultimately those shows just weren’t penciling out for us from an economic perspective,” Reisenbach said. “It’s never easy to end shows, but we always look at the aggregate—creative, life cycle, finances, ratings—and we make those tough calls.”
The decision shocked fans and industry insiders alike, especially considering that FBI: Most Wanted had completed a six-season run and FBI: International maintained steady ratings and international appeal.
🔁 The FBI Universe Continues to Evolve
Despite saying goodbye to two of its key players, the FBI franchise is far from over. The original FBI series—co-created by Dick Wolf and Craig Turk—has already been renewed through the 2026–2027 broadcast season, ensuring that the brand’s flagship remains a primetime fixture.
Meanwhile, FBI: CIA, a new spinoff starring Lucifer’s Tom Ellis, is set to premiere this fall. Ellis plays Hart Hoxton, a morally ambiguous CIA agent forced to work alongside a rule-following FBI counterpart. The series promises a new tone, blending espionage with character drama.
🚨 What’s Next for Haas?
While he may be parting ways with FBI: International, Derek Haas is far from done with action storytelling. His upcoming Prime Video series Countdown, a high-octane thriller with a buzzy cast and breakneck pace, is set to debut soon—proving that Haas’s creative energy is already moving to new territory.
💬 Final Verdict
FBI: International may have ended without a full explanation, but it leaves behind a unique legacy: a bold experiment in procedural storytelling, told through a global lens with a team of unlikely heroes. For viewers who followed the Fly Team from Rome to Berlin to Budapest, it’s more than a cancellation—it’s the end of an era.
But in the world of Dick Wolf, the next mission is always just around the corner.
