Michael Weatherly's Tony DiNozzo was one of the cornerstones of CBS procedural NCIS, only to stun fans by suddenly leaving after 13 seasons.
Dedicated viewers of the long-running hit CBS procedural NCIS were saddened by season 13's departure of Michael Weatherly, who played Tony DiNozzo since the beginning. Weatherly's DiNozzo worked as one of the top-ranking agents under boss Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) on the Major Case Response Team and proved to be an integral part of NCIS' success. DiNozzo wasn't always a character that was easy to like, but he was quite good at his job and developed as a person over the course of NCIS' long run. DiNozzo grew especially close to fellow agent Ziva David (Cote de Pablo), with the two crossing the line from professional to personal partners. Sadly for fans though, Weatherly's tenure on NCIS came to a swift stop in 2015 with the 13th season.
As major a character as Michael Weatherly's Tony DiNozzo was on NCIS, any long-running show is likely to experience some cast upheaval over time. By the time Weatherly took his leave from NCIS after season 13. Ziva, DiNozzo's love interest, had already left the cast, breaking up a couple fans had come to love. One of the factors in Weatherly's decision that DiNozzo should leave the series was the loss of the dynamic between Tony and Ziva. Weatherly missed the onscreen chemistry between the two characters and working with de Pablo. Beyond that, Weatherly had grown a bit bored with playing his NCIS role after 13 years and found himself itching to pursue other projects. When discussing the decision (via TV Insider), Weatherly likened the feeling to staying at a party too long.
When Michael Weatherly opted to leave the series, a plausible reason was written that satisfied a lot of fans. Tony DiNozzo left NCIS when learning that he and Ziva had a daughter together, and he left to help raise her. Michael Weatherly hasn't been inactive since leaving NCIS, and it's hard to judge his departure too harshly despite how much NCIS fans adored DiNozzo. To those on the outside looking in, it may seem hard to sympathize with someone growing tired of starring on a hit TV show, such as Mark Harmon did ahead of NCIS season 19.
Bull came to an end after a six-season run, and for now, it's unclear what Weatherly's plans are for his next major gig. Naturally, many NCIS watchers would love for Weatherly to return to the show as Tony DiNozzo, even if only for a guest appearance. If he elects to do so, the door is wide open, as canonically, "Tiva" are still together and living with their daughter in Paris, and Ziva made her NCIS return during season 17. Considering his hectic schedule as the star of Bull, it's likely Weatherly will take some time to relax for a while before stepping back into the NCIS world.
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