Sumith Prasad
Created by Phil McGraw and Paul Attanasio, CBS’ ‘Bull’ is a legal drama series that centers around Dr. Jason Bull, a charming trial-science expert, who uses his exceptional skills to select jurors for his clients. The show’s success over six seasons is highly indebted to Michael Weatherly’s praised portrayal of the protagonist. In January 2022, startling the fans of the show, Weatherly announced his departure from the series.
The announcement was followed by CBS’ official statement that the legal drama is ending after the completion of its sixth season’s broadcast. Naturally, fans of the show and the actor must be curious about the reasons behind Weatherly’s exit and his future endeavors. If you are a fan, too, we have got you covered. Here’s everything you need to know about the same!
Why Did Michael Weatherly Leave Bull?
Michael Weatherly left ‘Bull’ to follow new creative challenges. The actor addressed his departure via a tweet that read, “Hello all! It’s been my privilege to play Dr Jason Bull but after 6 Seasons of incredible storylines, I’ve decided it’s time to pursue new creative challenges and bring his story to a close. It has been an honor to work with this talented cast, crew, and writing/producing team who helped reinvent the legal drama. Stay tuned for a big series finish…Thanks to all the fans from the bottom of my heart. You will always be a part of our Bull family!”
Weatherly has been a part of the show since its inception in 2016. Even though CBS hasn’t revealed whether the show’s conclusion is due to the actor’s exit, it is possible that the network’s decision was made in the wake of his departure. The actor, who was part of CBS’ ‘NCIS’ from its inaugural season, left the police procedural show after 13 seasons to join ‘Bull.’ With his time in the legal drama coming to an end, admirers of the actor are wondering what’s in store for Weatherly after his astounding exit.
Is Michael Weatherly Joining NCIS: Hawai’i?
When the ‘NCIS’ spin-off series ‘NCIS: Hawai’i’ was in the development stage at CBS, ardent fans of the franchise were eagerly expecting Michael Weatherly’s Anthony DiNozzo to join the series. Their expectations ended in disappointment when the series premiered without the return of Weatherly’s character. Since the actor was engaged with ‘Bull,’ a return to the franchise was indeed unlikely. Considering Weatherly’s departure from the legal drama, there’s a possibility that the actor may return to play the character he highly admires.
However, Michael Weatherly or CBS hasn’t released a statement regarding the former’s return to the spin-off series. After his exit from ‘NCIS,’ Weatherly did express his wish to play the character again on numerous occasions. In May 2016, the actor revealed that he is open to returning as the character in the future. “[DiNozzo] will live on in the hearts and minds of the viewers and is embedded in the show. […] I would absolutely be open to anything and everything including things that no one’s even thought of yet,” he told THR.
Weatherly left ‘NCIS’ following his character DiNozzo’s departure from NCIS. DiNozzo comes to know that his former partner Ziva is dead and they have a child together named Tali. He leaves for Israel for his daughter. Later, it is revealed that Ziva is not dead, and fans of the show and characters have been demanding the reunion of the characters ever since. In February 2018, the actor himself revealed that the possibility of a reunion exists. “Yes I believe Ziva is alive and I will always be ready to play DiNozzo when the time is right…,” Weatherly tweeted.
Yes I believe Ziva is alive and I will always be ready to play DiNozzo when the time is right… https://t.co/2n7CifagsU
— Michael Weatherly (@M_Weatherly) February 27, 2018
Considering these factors, Weatherly may reprise his role in ‘NCIS: Hawai’i’ as the speculations suggest. The premise of the new spin-off series offers a different creative realm for the character and the actor than its parent show. If Weatherly wants to reprise the character in such a new creative sphere, the spin-off series is an attractive option for him. Since there are no announcements regarding the same from the actor’s camp, we may need to wait to see whether the possibility will materialize. As the spin-off series is slated to air a crossover episode with ‘NCIS’ on March 28, 2022, expectations are indeed high.
Read More: Where is Bull Filmed?
