NCIS season 24 premieres on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, on CBS.
Fans were shocked when Rocky Carroll left the show as Director Leon Vance after 18 seasons.
The actor opened up about the true reason behind his exit.
This story contains spoilers from NCIS season 23.
NCIS fans, season 24 will look a little different.
New episodes are slated to premiere on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, on CBS, and fans are ready to see their favorite federal agents solve thrilling cases.
However, Rocky Carroll, whose character, Director Leon Vance, was killed off toward the end of season 23 in March 2026, will be missing this season. So what happened, and why did Rocky Carroll leave NCIS after almost two decades?
At the time of Rocky’s exit, he told TV Insider that it wasn’t his decision to leave the show. But after hearing what showrunner and executive producer Steven D. Binder had in mind for the rest of the season, it made sense.
“Well, the agency, NCIS, as we know it, is in deep peril and is in danger of becoming extinct, of folding over into another agency because there’s a nefarious character working behind the scenes to sabotage the agency,” Rocky said at the time.
“Director Vance figures out who it is, and in the process of saving the agency, he loses his life. It’s a great story.’ … And I thought, ‘Wait, let’s go back a minute. Back up to the part where you say in saving the agency, he loses his life.’"
Even though it wasn’t Rocky’s choice to leave NCIS, he told Variety that he’s proud of how Vance was sent off. He also reflected on how lucky he is as an actor to have worked on the same project for close to two decades.
“For selfish reasons, I have to remind people: I’ve been a character on this series for 18 years,” he told the outlet. “Most Hollywood careers don’t last 18 years. So, to be able to play one character on one of the most popular shows in the world for 18 seasons, that’s the equivalent of living to be 105. You know, if you’ve known somebody who lived to be 105, when you go to that funeral, there’s a part of you that’s like, ‘OK, yeah, this is sad, but I mean, geez! The guy lived to be 105.’ So I feel that way with my character.”
Rocky’s first appearance as Vance came in the NCIS season 5 episode “Internal Affairs.” His character initially served as an assistant director for NCIS before being promoted to director in season 6.
Rocky’s presence is still on the show in a few ways. He came back to direct the season 23 episode “S.O.S.” in April 2026, and the show posted a sentimental birthday tribute to him on Instagram in July.
We can only imagine how Vance’s memory will live on in NCIS—and we’re eager to tune in to find out.
