FBI already had our attention with its upcoming spinoff, but now, the franchise has out interest. TV Line revealed that FBI has cast Tom Ellis as the lead of the spinoff that was originally titled FBI: CIA, but has since been rebranded as simply CIA. Ellis, of course, is best known for playing Lucifer in the Netflix series of the same name, as well as other DC-related properties.
Ellis will play a CIA case officer who regularly breaks rules and cuts corners to get the job done, and he will be paired with an FBI agent who insists on doing things by the book. The latter character has yet to be cast, but we can definitely see the former Lucifer actor playing someone who delights in upending the rulebook.
Tom Ellis has been cast as latest FBI lead
The synopsis for FBI's upcoming spinoff adds that these two characters will be forced to set their differences aside for the greater good. "When this odd couple are assigned to work out of CIA’s New York Station," it reads. "They must learn to work together to investigate cases and criminals posing threats on U.S. soil, finding that their differences may actually be their strength."
The news of Tom Ellis' casting comes as both an exciting development and a relief, given how many changes and delays that the CIA spinoff has had to contend with in recent months. The series not only underwent a name change, after the initial FBI: CIA was met with some derision by fans, but it was originally supposed to be given a backdoor pilot on FBI before these plans were scrapped.
The actor is best known for playing Lucifer
Instead, CIA has been ordered straight to series, which means it will be introducing all its characters in its own pilot. TV Line does note, however, that CIA is a working title, and may be subject to another change before the FBI spinoff actually makes it to the air. It makes sense, given that CIA would make it difficult to identity it as part of the larger FBI franchise.
All that said, Ellis is an inspired choice to play a roguish CIA agent. He gave a breakout performance as Lucifer in the Netflix series, but it will be exciting to see him tone down the mischievous whimsy that came with playing a supernatural entity and embody a more grounded, realistic character. We cannot wait to see who CIA decides to cast alongside Ellis as well.
CIA is set to premiere during the 2025-26 season on CBS.