FBI Teases Who Could Be the First Guest Star in Lucifer Star’s New CIA Spinoff md11

As CBS moves forward with CIA, the FBI spinoff centered on Tom Ellis’ Hart Hoxton, a major franchise update raises the likelihood of a desirable cameo as early as the first episode. The series is already set to spark a bit of network TV nostalgia, after CIA cast two One Chicago stars to join Lucifer star Ellis in prominent roles.

There’s been a lot of room for speculation about the upcoming FBI spinoff, especially because CIA’s announcement before shooting a pilot has led to odd circumstances such as Ellis appearing in promotional TV spots with little footage from the actual show. But one guest star seems all but certain, and their setup goes back to the FBI season 7 finale.

Tom Ellis’ CIA Spinoff Almost Has To Include FBI’s Jubal Based On Its Premise Alone

Jeremy Sisto’s ASAC Has Played A Vital Role In The Spinoffs Before

It’s easy to forget, but Jubal’s role as ASAC extends beyond his own office. Before FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International’s cancelations, Jubal would occasionally appear in the spinoffs to share pertinent information about their cases. This falls in line with the fact that the New York office at 26 Fed is meant to act as an interagency fusion center.

Because CIA specifically focuses on the formation of a joint terrorism task force (JTTF), it stands to reason that Hoxton and his team will need to check in with Jubal regarding certain major cases. In real life, fusion centers are much more geared toward intelligence gathering and analysis than investigative action, so their work with JTTFs helps balance those limitations.

Additionally, the FBI season 8 premiere synopsis suggests that Jubal is about to take on a larger role. The synopsis mentions Jubal struggling to adapt to a new leadership position, seemingly revealing that Isobel will either succumb to her injuries from the season 7 finale or be put out of commission by them. FBI’s season 8, episode 1 synopsis reads:

“After a federal judge disappears, a routine investigation takes a dark turn as the team uncovers that the judge had been searching for his missing son on a secluded island; reality weighs heavy on Jubal as he takes on a new leadership role.”

This doesn’t mean Isobel will necessarily die. She had already been considering retirement before the attack on 26 Fed. But Jubal’s larger role within the fusion center means he may interact more directly with CIA’s JTTF. In fact, even within his capacity as ASAC, this collaboration was already meant to have happened in a scrapped storyline from FBI season 7.

Featuring Jubal In CIA Can Make Up For CBS Cutting The Spinoff’s Backdoor Pilot

The FBI/CIA Joint Task Force Still Needs To Be Set Up Properly

One of the biggest surprise moves by CBS following the announcement of FBI’s newest spinoff was their decision to forgo CIA’s planned backdoor pilot. Both FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International began as crossover events, making CIA the first spinoff in the franchise not to do so. Casting delays, changing showrunners, and story development issues sadly rendered initial plans obsolete.

It’s not hard to see where CIA would have fit into the overall storyline of FBI season 7. With Chinese-allied double agents infiltrating the FBI and DHS (presumably among other agencies), FBI’s Forefront storyline perfectly sets up the need for CIA’s JTTF. There’s still a chance Forefront could play into CIA’s main season 1 plotline and its domestic terrorism focus.

However, even if CIA follows up on FBI’s story, the loss of a backdoor pilot still robs the spinoff of a major storytelling bridge. That’s where Jubal enters. Featuring Jubal in the spinoff’s pilot or early episodes could fill the narrative gap left by the backdoor pilot’s cancelation, whether through the simple relaying of intelligence or an actual joint operation.

Seeing Ellis’ Hart Hoxton interact directly with Sisto’s Jubal Valentine would immediately ground CIA firmly within the greater FBI universe. After the cancelation of its other spinoffs, FBI is currently the sparsest franchise in the Dick Wolf universe. That sense of connection fills it out a little bit, which could also help make up for losing Most Wanted and International.

Tom Ellis’ Hart Hoxton Can Give Jeremy Sisto’s Jubal The FBI Scene Partner He Deserves

FBI Hasn’t Been Making Full Use Of Sisto’s Acting Range

Jubal often receives criticism as a one-note character, largely because his role within the fusion center rarely lets him leave the floor. He’s essentially there to relay expository information for his agents to follow up on, which means that Jeremy Sisto’s acting range only gets to shine through during the bigger storylines. A CIA crossover appearance could help resolve this.

Valentine’s promotion should already help Sisto flex his acting skills a bit more than he did previously, but bringing this to CIA can carry some emotional and tonal continuity into the spinoff. More importantly, since Hoxton’s characterized as something of a maverick agent, seeing Ellis cracking wise against Sisto’s more serious character can provide great acting moments for them both.

While Jubal may seem like a static character at first, his interactions with other characters are what allow him to stretch across different emotional or comedic registers. If Ellis brings the same devilish charm to CIA as he brought to Lucifer, the contrast between Hoxton and the much more energetically stable Jubal should become a uniquely strong example of that.

Hoxton’s moral complexity and unorthodox conduct will currently rely on scene partner Nick Gehlfuss to truly shine, but CIA involving Jubal would show how Hoxton more specifically bucks against those in charge. Their chemistry could become a highlight of the spinoff’s early episodes, hopefully planting seeds for more elaborate FBI crossovers in the future.