Ever since news of the revival of the wildly popular police procedural Criminal Minds on Paramount+ hit the rumor mills, fans have been speculating about who from the original ensemble cast might come back.
The premiere season of the revival, titled Criminal Minds: Evolution confirmed the return of many fan-favorite characters. Paget Brewster's Emily Prentiss, Joe Mantegna's David Rossi, Kirsten Vangsness' Penelope Garcia, Adam Rodriguez's Luke Alvez, A.J. Cook's JJ and Aisha Tyler's Tara Lewis all found their way back to the BAU offices to investigate the twisted psychology of serial killers.
However, some of the most beloved faces were missing from the screen, much to the dismay of dedicated viewers. Now, with Season 2 of Evolution in the making, fans are wondering if these memorable characters will ever return to the show.
Here are five Criminal Minds characters fans would love to see back on the procedural, ranked by the likelihood of their return.
Never Returning: Jason Gideon (Mandy Patinkin)
Gideon only appeared in two full seasons of Criminal Minds, but fans remember him fondly to this day. The character was a true leader, a great mentor to Spencer Reid, and an extremely smart profiler who could make even the most hardened terrorist talk.
Patinkin reportedly left the show due to creative differences. He couldn't stand all the violence depicted in the scripts. But that's not the only reason Gideon never returns to the show. In S10E13, Nelson's Sparrow, the ex-agent is found dead, and the BAU traces his murder back to one of their oldest cases.
So Gideon's return is as likely as a dead man coming back to life in the Criminal Minds universe.
Very Unlikely: Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson)
The post-Gideon unit chief, Hotch lasted much longer than his predecessor. He exited the show in Season 12, leaving many fans in mourning. Unlike Gideon, the character is alive in the Criminal Minds universe (he disappeared off the public radar to escape a stalker and become a full-time father), but his return is still very unlikely.
The reason is that Thomas Gibson left on a scandalous note. In fact, he was fired for a physical altercation on the set. And even though the actor's reunion with the show's writer and producer Andrew Wilder sparked some hopeful rumors last year, the past still makes Hotch's return highly doubtful.
Likely Later: Matt Simmons (Daniel Henney)
Simmons remained part of the BAU when the original CBS run of the show ended. So fans were disappointed when he didn't appear in the revival. Daniel Henney couldn't join the cast due to his commitment to Amazon's The Wheel of Time, which is currently in production on its third season.
While Criminal Minds left the door open for Simmons (according to the plot, he's on a secret mission somewhere), it looks like the scheduling conflicts will make it impossible for the actor to return in the near future.
Likely: Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore)
Morgan left Criminal Minds after Season 11 to focus on his family life. Working in the BAU doesn't leave a man without some deep scars, now does it? The behind-the-camera reason for the exit was that Shemar Moore wanted to explore other career opportunities.
He soon landed the lead role on CBS's S.W.A.T., where he worked for seven years. The show is currently airing its final season, so Moore has every chance of returning to his roots and appearing in the Criminal Minds revival. After all, he guest-starred on the original show and is ready to come back at a moment's notice.
'All I need is an invitation,' the actor recently told TV Insider, to the delight of all viewers.
Very Likely: Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler)
Of course, Evolution's biggest loss is the absence of everyone's favorite genius, Dr. Spencer Reid, who never missed an episode of the original. Matthew Gray Gubler was unable to join the production of the revival because he was busy with another project. And plot-wise, the writers sent Reid on the same secret mission as Simmons, leaving him free to return at any time.
Although Evolution Season 1 was surprisingly good without the participation of the boy genius, fans still hope to see him again in the near future. Fortunately, there is a good chance of that happening.
'I would absolutely love that,' the actor said during his appearance on The Six O'Clock Show. 'Hopefully it will soon work out.'
Fingers crossed!
Sources: The Six O'Clock Show, TV Insider.