For two decades, NCIS established some of the most iconic, fully formed characters in television history: the stoic, rule-breaking Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon); the verbose, philosophizing Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard (David McCallum); and the tough, retired mentor Mike Franks (Muse Watson). These were men whose personalities were already set in stone—their quirks, their traumas, and their unwavering moral codes defined by years of service and sacrifice.
The arrival of the prequel series, NCIS: Origins, set in 1991, has cracked open the vault on these legends. By casting new actors in the foundational years of the Naval Investigative Service (NIS), the show invites a fascinating comparison. The prequel is tasked with showing us not the finished, world-weary heroes, but the raw, unpolished, and often messy individuals on the precipice of becoming their iconic selves.
The central question NCIS: Origins must answer is: How different are these characters before their NCIS identities solidified? The answer, based on the early episodes, is that they are startlingly, refreshingly human.
🔫 Leroy Jethro Gibbs: The Unfinished Man
The core of NCIS: Origins rests on Austin Stowell’s portrayal of the young Leroy Jethro Gibbs, contrasted sharply with Mark Harmon’s legendary Special Agent in Charge.
Original Gibbs (Mark Harmon)
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The Code: Stoic, reserved, and governed by Gibbs’ Rules. His emotional life is an iron curtain, only occasionally drawn back to reveal the profound grief over his first wife, Shannon, and daughter, Kelly.
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The Professional: A master interrogator and team leader, operating on instinct honed by decades of experience. He is the apex predator of NIS, always in control.
Origins Gibbs (Austin Stowell)
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The Trauma: Origins begins in 1991, just months after the devastating murders of Shannon and Kelly. Stowell’s Gibbs is not yet the stoic man of rule #10 (“Never get personally involved in a case”); he is raw, grieving, and fueled by barely suppressed rage and pain.
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The Professional: He is a probationary agent at the Camp Pendleton NIS office, fresh out of the Marines. The character is portrayed as unformed and still learning. As Stowell himself has stated, this Gibbs is “not the guy that the fans are used to.” He is highly skilled physically but emotionally volatile and still finding his footing in the world of criminal investigation, a dynamic that allows for a level of vulnerability Mark Harmon’s Gibbs rarely displayed.
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The Look: While some fans debate the physical resemblance, Stowell is tasked with capturing the emotional transition—the fire beneath the ice—that will eventually harden into the Gibbs we know.
🔬 Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard: The Charming Liaison
The return of Adam Campbell as the younger Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard for the prequel is a welcome nod to franchise continuity, as he previously played the role in NCIS flashbacks. The comparison here reveals the origin of Ducky’s signature quirks.
Original Ducky (David McCallum)
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The Quirk: The verbose, philosophical Medical Examiner who treats his deceased patients with respect and conversation. He is the team’s emotional anchor and a living encyclopedia of arcane knowledge and charming personal anecdotes.
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The Professional: An established authority, a reliable constant in the morgue, and Gibbs’ oldest, most trusted friend.
Origins Ducky (Adam Campbell)
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The Unformed Quirk: In his Origins appearance, Ducky is working as a liaison from D.C. headquarters. He’s undeniably charming and talkative, but we see him actively struggling to find his professional identity. He starts by trying to follow his mentor’s instruction to conduct autopsies in “respectful silence.”
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The Pivotal Moment: The prequel confirms that it was an off-the-cuff suggestion from Gibbs during a chance, earlier meeting that inspired Ducky to leave his previous, high-stress medical work (where he vowed never to treat living patients again) and enter the world of forensics. Crucially, it’s Gibbs who encourages Ducky to abandon the “working silence” and embrace his natural inclination to speak to the dead, thus literally giving birth to Ducky’s iconic mannerism. This is the Ducky before his wisdom became comforting—a man seeking purpose.
🚬 Mike Franks: The Gritty Mentor
Gibbs’ gruff, retired mentor, Mike Franks, is one of the most beloved recurring characters. Kyle Schmid takes on the role of the younger, active Special Agent Franks, showing the man who forged Gibbs’ career.
Original Franks (Muse Watson)
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The Style: Retired, typically seen in Hawaiian shirts, sporting a weathered mustache, and frequently giving Gibbs sage, cryptic advice, usually over a beer or on a dock. He’s the embodiment of a hard-won career and the consequences of trauma (including past addiction).
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The Role: Gibbs’ conscience and safety net, a figure of retirement-age wisdom.
Origins Franks (Kyle Schmid)
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The Grittiness: Schmid’s Franks is a veteran NIS agent still actively in the field, mentoring the newly transferred Gibbs. The prequel’s darker, grittier tone highlights Franks’ own struggles, including the lingering trauma of the Vietnam War and his own battle with addiction, which the original series only hinted at.
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The Dynamic: He is still the mustache-rocking, no-nonsense mentor, but he is closer to the edge—suspicious of outsiders like Ducky and wrestling with his own demons and complicated family history. The younger Franks is a fierce, active agent with less patience for bureaucracy and more reliance on street smarts, embodying the “messy and underfunded” NIS of 1991.
🤝 Tobias Fornell and Beyond
NCIS: Origins also introduces younger versions of other key recurring figures, clarifying long-standing franchise lore.
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Tobias Fornell (Lucas Dixon): The prequel introduces a younger FBI Agent Tobias Fornell, played by Lucas Dixon. This inclusion is key to clearing up a major plot hole from the original NCIS pilot, where Fornell didn’t appear to recognize Gibbs. Origins can now establish a clearer timeline of their professional and personal rivalry-turned-friendship, showing the evolution of a relationship that would become central to Gibbs’ later life.
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Vera Strickland (Diany Rodriguez): Vera, Franks’ partner in the prequel, was only seen once in a Season 11 flashback on the flagship show. Origins gives her a crucial, leading role, solidifying her as a tough, foundational member of the NIS team and correcting the franchise’s omission of her early career importance.
🔑 Conclusion: The Power of Unfinished Heroes
NCIS: Origins succeeds by presenting its characters not as reflections of their future selves, but as unfinished heroes navigating their most formative traumas.
The comparison shows that Origins Gibbs is a raw, grieving veteran, not yet the stoic leader; Origins Ducky is a man searching for a purpose, not yet the wise Medical Examiner; and Origins Franks is a deeply scarred but active mentor, not yet the retired sage. By allowing these characters to be messy, vulnerable, and in transition, the prequel provides a powerful, relatable foundation for the legends they are destined to become. The show’s success lies in demonstrating that the most enduring characters are defined not by their finished status, but by the pivotal moments that shaped them.
