With leadership questions always hovering over NCIS headquarters, fans are once again debating who could eventually replace Director Leon Vance. While Timothy McGee feels like the obvious choice, several NCIS: Los Angeles veterans stand out as strong alternatives.
Hetty Lange’s intelligence network experience alone makes her uniquely qualified. Few characters across the franchise understand strategy the way she does.
G. Callen also seems like a natural fit. Over time, he transformed into a steady leader who respects every member of his team’s strengths—a key quality for a director.
Kensi Blye is another surprising but believable option. Her growth throughout NCIS: LA showed she has both courage and long-term leadership potential.
Elsewhere in the wider franchise, Jane Tennant and Hannah Khoury bring their own leadership styles to the conversation.
Still, if the franchise wants continuity above all else, McGee remains the candidate many fans are rooting for.