The hit television prequel, NCIS Origins, has officially confirmed the actor who will be stepping into the shoes of a young Agent Dwayne Pride for its second season, bringing another beloved character from the expansive NCIS universe into the fold.
Meet the New Probationary Agent
Fans of NCIS: New Orleans will be thrilled to learn that the iconic role of Dwayne Pride, originally made famous by Scott Bakula, will be portrayed in the 1990s-set prequel by actor Shea Buckner. The 38-year-old performer, recently seen in Only Murders in the Building, is no stranger to the NCIS world, having previously appeared in the original series back in 2018 as a character named Xavier Blackburn.
In NCIS Origins, Buckner's character is introduced as a recently appointed Probationary Special Agent arriving from the NIS Panama office. According to reports from Deadline, the ex-sheriff's deputy shares a complex history with a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs, and the pair are forced to confront their past tensions while working undercover on a new case.
Reassembling a Legendary Team
The upcoming episode promises a major event for long-time fans: the reunion of the legendary Fed Five task force. This is the very team of agents famed for capturing the Privileged Killer in the original NCIS programme.
The squad is comprised of several key figures:
- Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, played by Austin Stowell.
- Agent Mike Franks, portrayed by Kyle Schmid.
- Agent Dwayne Pride, now brought to life by Shea Buckner.
- Dan McLane and Felix Betts, though casting for these two roles remains unconfirmed.
This reunion solidifies the prequel's deep connections to the lore of the main series, exploring the formative years of these iconic characters.
More Familiar Faces Return
Agent Pride is not the only familiar character making a welcome return to the franchise in this series. Adam Campbell is also set to reprise his role as a younger David 'Ducky' Mallard.
Campbell first portrayed the charming, bow tie-wearing Ducky in a 2014 episode of the flagship NCIS show before appearing in the series two instalment of Origins titled 'The Edge'.
NCIS Origins series two continues to chart the early career of Agent Gibbs at the newly established NCIS Camp Pendleton office. The show airs every Wednesday on Paramount+ in the UK, offering fans a weekly dose of 1990s naval crime-solving action.
