CIA Spinoff: Eriq La Salle Departs Amid Cast Change

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Following a recent cast change, the upcoming FBI spinoff has lost another key player. Michael Michele, who was set to play the director of the CIA’s New York office, has left the show. It’s currently unknown if the role will be filled by another actor.

This new CIA series is Tom Ellis’s first time playing the lead in a TV show since he finished his popular role as Lucifer Morningstar on Lucifer. However, since the show was originally announced earlier this year, there have been some significant changes.

According to Deadline, Eriq La Salle is leaving his role as an executive producer on the CIA television series. This comes just days after Michele’s departure was announced on November 1st. La Salle, who gained fame for his Emmy-nominated role as Dr. Peter Benton on ER, joined the project in April as an executive producer and director when the spinoff was first announced.

Production on the CBS series began in September and isn’t anticipated to be affected by the recent cast changes. La Salle and Michele have a working history together – Michele previously appeared on ER as Cleo Finch, a doctor and romantic interest for the character Benton.

The new series was originally scheduled to launch in 2025, but the premiere has been delayed until 2026 due to a change in the writing leadership. David Hudgins, previously the executive producer of FBI: Most Wanted, was replaced as showrunner by Warren Leight, known for his work on Law & Order: SVU. Before the new series begins, plans were also in place to introduce three characters – including one played by Ellis – in the original FBI show.

The new series centers around an unconventional partnership between a rule-bending CIA officer, Hart Hoxon (played by Ellis), and a by-the-book FBI agent, Nick Gehlfuss (from Chicago Med). Initially, their differing methods cause friction, but as they tackle increasingly dangerous and sensitive cases, they discover that their contrasting styles actually complement each other. Natalee Linez, known for her role in Power Book III: Raising Kanan, joins the cast as a CIA analyst.

The new CIA series is a spinoff of the FBI shows (FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International) and comes from the same creative team, including executive producers Dick Wolf and Warren Leight, along with Nicole Perlman, David Chasteen, and Peter Jankowski. Actor Julian La Salle previously worked with Dick Wolf on the Amazon series On Call. However, this highly anticipated CBS show is still in the process of being fully developed.

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2025-11-04 17:18