FBI‘s spinoff CIA caused a stir by pausing production amid casting and showrunner changes.
FBI debuted on CBS in 2019 and follows the agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New York City. The network followed that up with FBI: Most Wanted, which aired from 2020 to 2025, about the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Fugitive Task Force. There was also the FBI: International spinoff about the International Fly Team that ran for four seasons before concluding in 2025.
In April 2025, CBS gave CIA a straight-to-series order starring Tom Ellis and Nick Gehlfuss. According to the official synopsis, CIA centers on “two unlikely partners — a fast-talking, rule-breaking loose cannon CIA case officer and a by-the-book, seasoned and smart FBI agent who believes in the rule of law.”
The description continued: “When this odd couple are assigned to work out of CIA’s New York Station, they must learn to work together to investigate cases and criminals posing threats on U.S. soil, finding that their differences may actually be their strength.”
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After rounding out the cast, CIA initially faced a showrunner change before losing one of its leads. Keep scrolling for a breakdown of the onscreen — and offscreen — shifts ahead of CIA‘s premiere on CBS:
The Key Players
FBI, which premiered in 2018, centers on the inner workings of the New York City field office criminal division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), where the agents work to ensure the safety of New York City and its citizens.
The police procedural currently stars Zeeko Zaki, Missy Peregrym, Jeremy Sisto, John Boyd and Alana De La Garza. After finding success on CBS, FBI expanded with FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International, which have both come to an end.
CIA, meanwhile, stars Tom Ellis, Nick Gehlfuss, Necar Zadegan and Natalee Linez. Jeremy Sisto is set to guest star in the premiere.
The Gist
CBS announced in April 2025 that CIA, which will live in the same universe as Dick Wolf’s FBI, was greenlit for the 2025-2026 broadcast season.
Originally planned for a fall 2025 premiere, CIA was pushed to midseason after Warren Leight replaced FBI: Most Wanted‘s David Hudgins as showrunner.
The changes kept coming when Michael Michele, who was one of the series’ leads, left in November 2025. Days later, Eriq La Salle left the series as executive producer. He was attached to CIA since its conception and directed the pilot before his exit. Leight then exited as showrunner as well, which caused production to pause. Mike Weiss, the current showrunner of FBI, was said to be in talks to take over.
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What Has Been Said
While no one has yet to address the shakeups, Ellis teased what FBI fans can expect from the show.
“We’re going to take what the FBI guys have set up in that kind world,” Ellis exclusively told Us Weekly in May 2025. “We’re going to then visit it through the eyes of the CIA.”
He continued: “We might get a little bit of crossover with FBI from time to time, but ultimately, this is going to be about how the CIA goes about its business on homeland soil and why it’s important that these very different bureaus share information with each other and how for the greater good.”
What’s Next
Filming on the series started in September 2025, and production has continued without being impacted by the departures. CBS announced in December 2025 that CIA will premiere on Monday, February 23, 2026, following a new episode of FBI. CBS shared the first look at CIA in December 2025, highlighting the dynamic between Ellis’ CIA operative Colin Glass and Gehlfuss’ FBI agent Bill Goodman’s opposite styles.
“He can be a little by the book,” Colin reveals while introducing Bill in the video. “He read me the riot act for fibbing to a suspect in a safe house.”
While Bill questions Colin’s tactics, he does have his back in life and death situations.
“I’m leading them away,” Bill tells Colin as he creates a distraction in the trailer. “You’re not much use to me alive but you’re really no use to me dead.” Colin jokingly replies, “I never knew you cared.”
As the trailer comes to a close, Colin reveals the biggest difference between the FBI and the CIA is that the FBI “work in the open,” while his team “work in the shadows.”
“We both do it to keep our country safe,” Bill chimes in, hinting that they will eventually have common ground.
