‘FBI’ Spinoff ‘CIA’ Rocked by Another High-Profile Exit

There is more trouble percolating behind the scenes at the upcoming FBI spinoff series CIA as another key staffer exits the police drama.

First, original showrunner David Hudgins (FBI: Most Wanted) left the series in July, leading to production delays. He was replaced by longtime Dick Wolf collaborator, Warren Leight (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit).

Then this month, veteran actress Michael Michele (Homicide: Life on the Street and Dynasty) exited her role as head of the CIA’s New York Station, with the news breaking on Nov. 1.

Related: ‘FBI’ Spinoff ‘CIA’ Faces Questions After High-Profile Exits

A few days later, executive producer and director Eriq La Salle (On Call and Chicago P.D.) left the CBS police drama.

Now comes a new bombshell. Replacement showrunner Warren Leight has exited the production, both Variety and TheWrap reported on Thursday, Nov. 6.

Now Variety reports Mike Weiss, current showrunner of flagship series FBI, is now in talks to take over running the show while pulling double duty at FBI.

Weiss has been with FBI since 2024, according to his IMDb page. Before that he co-created and worked on the short-lived Hulu mystery drama series Death and Other Details, and earlier on Netflix’s The Hunting Wives and NBC’s Chicago P.D.

Because of the latest showrunner changes at CIA, production has reportedly been temporarily paused on the drama series. Despite this latest change, the show is still expected to premiere in earlier 2026.

The series had initially been schedule to debut in fall 2025, but was delayed because of the previous showrunner change.

The one-hour drama follows “two unlikely partners – a fast-talking, rule-breaking loose cannon CIA case officer and a by-the-book, seasoned and smart FBI agent who believes in the rule of law,” according to the official description. The two are assigned to work in the CIA’s New York Station to track criminals posing threats on U.S. soil, and must learn to work together.

Tom Ellis and Nick Gehlfuss lead the cast alongside Natalee Linez.

CIA and FBI come from Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Wolf Entertainment.

An exact premiere date for CIA will be announced later.