FBI: International’s cancellation shocked fans of the franchise as well as cocreator Derek Haas.
Haas, 54, admitted he was rather stunned to hear that the CBS spinoff show would not be moving forward on the network after four seasons.
“I was so sad to hear about the cancellation, because I loved Jesse Soffer as Wes on the show and really thought it was a dynamic cast addition in season 4,” he told TVLine on Sunday, June 22.
FBI: International first premiered in 2021, following a group of fictional FBI agents on the Fugitive Task Force who tackled criminal and terroristic threats globally. Soffer, 41, joined the cast in 2024 as Supervisory Special Agent Wesley “Wes” Mitchell, who led the team after the departure of Scott Forrester.
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As for the reason why the show got the ax, Haas said, “I have no insight into why it was canceled.”
He continued, “I love [president of CBS Entertainment Amy Reisenbach] and [EVP of current programming] Eric [Kim] over at CBS plus all my good friends at Wolf [Entertainment], and trust their instincts. So they must’ve had reasons that had nothing to do with the quality of the show.”
Reisenbach previously addressed what went into the decision to cancel FBI: International along with the spinoff FBI: Most Wanted.
“It’s not easy to end shows, and we had a lot of options this year,” she told the press in May. “The schedule is really full, and so we always have to look at all of our shows, look at the aggregate information, the creative of where they are in their life cycle, what the finances look like, what the ratings are and then we make those tough decisions.”
FBI: Most Wanted, which starred Dylan McDermott and Edwin Hodge, lasted for six seasons.
While two FBI spinoffs were canceled, CBS announced that a new FBI spinoff called CIA was in the works. Tom Ellis is set to star in the crime drama.
“We love working with Dick Wolf, and we’re so excited to bring CIA onto the schedule,” Reisenbach said of the upcoming series. “We have to be fiscally responsible, and ultimately, those deals and the shows just weren’t penciling out for us from an economic perspective. But we want to be in the business with Dick. We’re excited to launch a new two-hour block next season.”
The two canceled FBI spinoffs were not the only series that said goodbye during this broadcast season. The Equalizer was also canceled by CBS after five seasons, and the Blue Bloods cast said farewell after 14 seasons on the network.
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Along with the cancellations came the announcement of several spinoffs, including a Blue Bloods offshoot titled Boston Blue, a Fire Country spinoff titled Sheriff Country and a spinoff of The Neighborhood called Crutch.
“Our 2025-2026 primetime schedule boasts a star-studded lineup of returning hit shows and new exciting series from top creators and producers,” Reisenbach said. “Coming off another winning season enabled us to make bold scheduling moves and fortify our strong lineup with thematically compatible programs every night of the week for strong viewer flow and to serve as a powerful launch pad for the new shows. Additionally, we’re appreciative of our loyal audiences who regularly watch on CBS and Paramount+ and to our creative partners who continue to deliver outstanding content.”
