NCIS Cast Hails LL Cool J as an On-Set Assassin — Inside His Two-Part Cameo

LL Cool J is popping back into the NCIS mothership this week, and the cast could not be more amped about it. Two episodes, one very familiar face, and then he heads straight into launching his own spinoff this fall. Here is what to know, what to watch, and why everyone on set keeps calling him a machine.

When he shows up and what he is doing

LL Cool J, 58, returns as Special Agent Sam Hanna for a two-episode run on NCIS starting Tuesday, April 21. The first hour is titled 'Reboot,' with the conclusion rolling out the following week in 'Bad Impressions.' Think of it as a mini arc that tees up his next chapter nicely.

'He comes and he is an assassin. He just comes and gets the job done.'

That is Brian Dietzen (Dr. Jimmy Palmer), 48, talking about LL on set. Diona Reasonover (Kasie Hines), 34, laughed and backed him up on the carpet, basically saying 'assassin' is exactly right. Katrina Law (Jessica Knight) added that he is the one who is always smiling and somehow more prepared than anyone else. Dietzen also called him a legit industry titan across music, TV, and film. None of this is shocking if you have watched him work before, but it is still fun hearing the cast fangirl and fanboy about it.

Quick refresher on Sam Hanna in the NCIS universe

• 2009: LL first appears as Sam Hanna on NCIS in a two-part backdoor pilot in the spring, leading straight into NCIS: Los Angeles that fall.
• 2009–2023: Stars on NCIS: Los Angeles until the series wraps in 2023.
• 2024: Pops into NCIS: Hawai'i, then joins full-time for its third (and final) season.
• 2025: Makes his most recent guest spot on NCIS prior to this new two-parter.
• 2026: Returns to NCIS for 'Reboot' on Tuesday, April 21, with the conclusion the next week in 'Bad Impressions.'

The spinoff that is up next

Once this two-parter lands, you will not see more Hanna until fall, when CBS launches NCIS: New York for the 2026–2027 season. The setup: Sam heads back to his hometown, New York City, and teams with a roguish special agent played by Scott Caan. That pairing alone has big energy.

How Tuesdays are shifting on CBS

Fall Tuesdays are being built into a full NCIS block: NCIS, NCIS: Origins (kicking off its third season), and NCIS: New York. NCIS: Sydney is sliding to midseason, so its season 4 will not surface until sometime in 2027.

Right now, you can still catch fresh episodes on Tuesdays: NCIS at 8 p.m. ET, NCIS: Sydney at 9 p.m. ET, and NCIS: Origins at 10 p.m. ET.

One last bit from the carpet

Dietzen called these back-to-back LL episodes the kind you do not skip, and based on how the cast described his on-set precision, that tracks. If you are into the franchise history, this whole thing is a neat little full-circle moment: started on NCIS, built a dynasty in Los Angeles, jumped to Hawai'i, and now he is back on the flagship before steering the New York ship. Clean, confident, and very on brand for Sam Hanna.