FBI Spin-Off Just Made a Bold Move — And Fans Aren’t All Happy About It

Ahead of the Fall 2025 schedule, the upcoming FBI spin-off CIA, is getting two important updates. The Tom Ellis-led spin-off has actually been pushed to mid-season for its premiere, moving off the Fall schedule. According to Deadline, this comes as the series also undergoes a change in showrunner. The Dick Wolf property sees David Hudgins exit as showrunner and is instead bringing in a longtime collaborator with Wolf, Warren Leight. Leight is known for his work in the Law & Order universe on NBC including his two runs as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit showrunner.

‘FBI’ Spin-Off Enlists Long-Time Dick Wolf Collaborator to Run ‘CIA’

The series has already seen some recent changes, with it remaining unclear who, if anyone, would be crossing over from the FBI shows (FBIMost Wanted, and International) as CIA launches. Leight served as showrunner for Law & Order: SVU from 2011 to 2016 and then returned as showrunner in 2019 to 2022 before departing once again. Leight also helped develop the Law & Order spin-off Law & Order: Organized Crime and also served as showrunner for a time on Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Leight’s penchant for a darker tone may lend itself to the ambiguity that Ellis has already previously discussed of his character, Hart Hoxton, who, Ellis says is:

CBS Already Has The Perfect Replacement Series For Jesse Lee Soffer's Canceled FBI: International Show

“So, my character is called Hart. He is an experienced field officer from the CIA, but he finds himself stuck in what some CIA agents might think was the boring end of the job in, you know, on home soil in New York. But he’s someone who, like many people who work for the CIA, has to use guile and deceit and lies to get what he wants. So there’s a large dose of moral ambiguity that comes with him, but that’s part of his job. So whilst that is, you know, not great for people in actual life, for a TV audience, it’s wonderful entertainment. So, yeah.”

It’s unclear, if any, if the direction of Hoxton Ellis has detailed will change with Leight taking over as showrunner. The series is expected to follow the procedural format that FBI and its other spin-offs followed. So far, the Lucifer alum is the only star attached to the project, but maybe with the movement upstairs settled, more news may be coming from the casting department

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