New details about CIA could be a cause for concern. As the FBI franchise was reduced by two shows, there was hope of a different type of expansion with Tom Ellis. But it may not be as smooth sailing as one wants it to be.
Only Ellis has been cast in the series so far, and while the sting of FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International‘s cancelations persists, having such a charismatic lead for the new spinoff somehow softens the blow. Sadly, it won’t be enough to carry CIA as a whole.
Why CIA’s New Update Is Concerning After Tom Ellis’ Casting
CIA Writers Are Now Polishing The Scripts
One of the reasons the FBI spinoff CIAwas pushed from being a backdoor pilot in FBI season 7 to a straight-to-series pickup was due to casting. It was difficult to lock in the leading male, which became Lucifer’s Tom Ellis. There’s a clear plan for his character Hart Hoxton, but no word yet on other characters.
This is becoming more and more of a concern, as TVLine reports that there have been no casting updates since. In fact, the show has stopped looking for new cast members due to scripts needing to be polished. The fact that writers are still refining the scripts is a concern, as we’re just around two months out from the premiere of CIA.
Sources tell me the “FBI Universe Expansion” has been in a bit of a holding pattern — that once TV’s erstwhile Lucifer landed a lead role (as the CIA agent), other casting (including for his FBI partner) was paused as scripts underwent further polishing.
This is way too close, as most of the fall broadcast shows have now started filming. They need to start filming in July to get enough episodes in the bag before the premiere dates. This is sure to make it difficult for CIA to premiere in the fall.
CBS set the new Dick Wolf universe series as a fall show, airing on Mondays after the flagship FBI series. Usually, the premieres for these fall shows are in late September or early October, and we don’t see CBS changing that in 2025.
CIA’s Scrapped FBI Backdoor Pilot Was An Early Indication Of Its Current Issues
CIA Needs To Figure Out Quickly What It Wants To Be
When the latest FBI spinoff series was first announced, it came with the caveat that it would be a backdoor pilot in FBI season 7. This was planned for somewhere close to the end of the season, but as finding their leading male took longer, this couldn’t work.
At least, the problems finding a leading male were touted as the reason. Now it seems like this was just a small part of the reason for the change in path. If the writers are still polishing the scripts, it suggests that they don’t really know what the CIA wants to be, and that’s the biggest problem.
This is a show that needs to hit the ground running hard, so it needs to have a clear idea of direction. Rushing things now will be detrimental to the show, so CIA may need to be pushed to the midseason to give everyone time.
