CIA, the upcoming new spin-off of the FBI franchise at CBS, has lost a major cast member. According to a new report, Michael Michele, who was supposed to be one of the leads in the show, is no longer going to be appearing in the series. The reason for her exit has not been revealed yet, which has left many wondering what might have gone wrong behind the scenes.
The upcoming series is going to follow two unlikely partners working together at the CIA’s New York Station. Tom Ellis plays a rule-breaking CIA case officer, and he’ll be channeling some of that charming mischief fans loved him for in Lucifer. His partner, played by Nick Gehlfuss, is a by-the-book FBI agent who believes in following the rules no matter what. The story will explore how these two very different agents handle high-stakes missions while also trying to deal with each other’s clashing personalities.
Michele was originally set to play the boss of the New York Station, a character that would have been central to the show’s main setup. Since production just began in September, it is not yet clear if the team plans to recast the role or rewrite parts of the story to work around her exit. Either way, her departure so early in the process could affect the show’s timeline.
Michele’s Departure Is the Second Big Exit From ‘CIA’
CIA was originally planned for a fall 2025 premiere, but was pushed back after the original showrunner, David Hudgins, left the project. Hudgins was later replaced by Warren Leight, who is best known for his work on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
With the change in leadership, the show’s premiere was moved to mid-season 2026 to give the team more time to reset and move forward. Now, with Michele leaving as well, the future of the series may face yet another delay. So far, CBS has not made any official comment on whether this will affect production.
CIA is set to premiere sometime in 2026, while FBI and the rest of the franchise are available to stream on Paramount+. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
