The NCIS universe is officially turning back the clock — and introducing a new face in the process. NCIS: Origins has cast Shea Buckner as a younger version of Dwayne Pride, the beloved character originally portrayed by Scott Bakula on NCIS: New Orleans. While Bakula’s Pride last appeared in 2021, the prequel series will explore the character’s early days within the NIS.
Buckner, recently seen on Only Murders in the Building, will debut later in NCIS: Origins Season 2. His casting aligns with the show’s approach of reimagining iconic characters at earlier points in their careers, following similar choices for young versions of Gibbs, Franks, Ducky, and Fornell.
In the prequel, Pride is introduced as a newly assigned probationary agent from the Panama office, carrying unresolved history with Gibbs. Their reunion promises tension, unfinished business, and deeper insight into how one of NCIS’s most popular figures was shaped long before New Orleans.
