All the OG Stars Returning For the “Criminal Minds” Reboot and What Else We Know

According to Nicole Clemens, the president of Paramount+ Original Scripted Series, the latest iteration of “Criminal Minds” will be “full of new twists,” delivering “new stories for a new generation of viewers.”

The fresh batch of episodes will reportedly build a thrilling criminal chase against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. The official logline gives a glimpse of the upcoming revival’s plot. “The FBI’s elite team of criminal profilers come up against their greatest threat yet, an UnSub who has used the pandemic to build a network of other serial killers. Now, as the world opens back up, the network goes operational, and our team must hunt them down, one murder at a time,” the streamer shared.

Joe Mantegna, who plays David Rossi in “Criminal Minds,” recently teased the upcoming reboot while scoping out the soundstage in a July 13 tweet. The project will soon move into its production phase, with filming set to begin next month in Los Angeles on Aug. 21, per Deadline. Fans can probably expect the series to hit Paramount+ in late 2022 or early 2023 at the latest.

The show will see many of the original cast reprise their iconic roles, but some big names will be missing.

Which Original “Criminal Minds” Cast Members Will Be in the Reboot?

The cast members reprising their long-time characters include Joe Mantegna as David Rossi, Paget Brewster as Emily Prentiss, Adam Rodriguez as Luke Alvez, A.J. Cook as Jennifer “JJ” Jareau, Kristen Vangsness as Penelope Garcia, and Aisha Tyler as Tara Lewis.

Why Isn’t Matthew Gray Gubler in the “Criminal Minds” Reboot?

Matthew Gray Gubler starred as the fan-favourite character Spencer Reid for the show’s 15-season run. However, according to a Deadline report, Gubler, who last appeared in “Dollface,” is not inclined to revive his widely adored character.

Why Isn’t Shemar Moore in the “Criminal Minds” Reboot?

Shemar Moore starred as the charming Derek Morgan from season one to season 11 of “Criminal Minds” before taking a step back to a reoccurring role from season 12 to season 14 to pursue other projects – one of those being CBS’s other hit show “S.W.A.T.,” which premiered in 2017 and is still going strong. His starring role on the show is probably what’s preventing him from signing on for the “Criminal Minds” revival. But considering “S.W.A.T.” is under the Paramount umbrella, it doesn’t seem totally out of the question that Moore could appear in the reboot as a guest at some point.

Why Isn’t Daniel Henney in the “Criminal Minds” Reboot?

Daniel Henney joined “Criminal Minds” as the character Matthew Simmons toward the end of the series’ run in season 10, becoming a regular from season 13 until the series finale. Henney’s absence from the revival is likely due to scheduling conflicts owing to his role in Amazon Prime’s fantasy drama “The Wheel of Time.”

Will Any New Cast Members Join the “Criminal Minds” Reboot?

Paramount+ hasn’t announced any new cast members that have joined the revival yet. However, the original series’ executive producer, writer, and showrunner Erica Messer is confirmed to be steering the highly anticipated reboot. The writers and executive producers Breen Frazier and Chris Barbour also make up the creative team behind the latest revival.

Paramount+ hasn’t shared any teasers previewing the “Criminal Minds” revival because it hasn’t started filming. Fans can probably expect an official trailer to come after filming gets underway and an official premiere date is set.

The “Criminal Minds” reboot will start with 10 new episodes.