Criminal Minds Season 20 has wrapped, but not all the cast will be returning after a shocking exit.
Criminal MindsThe film, which premiered in 2005, follows a group of criminal profilers who work as members of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit. The crime drama explores different fictional cases and shows how behavioral analysis helps the team find their unknown subjects.
Original Criminal Minds The series has been revived by Paramount+ following its initial closure in 2020. Criminal Minds: Evolution brought back most of the cast Joe Mantegna, AJ Cook, Vangsness, Aisha Tyler, Adam Rodriguez and Paget Brewster They reprise their roles. Other important characters – e.g. Matthew Gray Gubler‘s Reid – they made a cameo.
first season Criminal Minds: Evolution (aka season 16 of OG) Criminal Minds series) introduced Voit as the main antagonist. The BAU spent the entire season hunting the prolific killer, whom they linked to 62 murders and was the mastermind behind establishing an online network of fellow serial killers.
Voit’s villain status was left up in the air when he suffered significant memory loss that resulted in him no longer being labeled a psychopath. Gilford and the rest Criminal Minds The cast acknowledged that Voit wouldn’t be able to stay on the show forever.
“I was supposed to leave the show a while ago, and I was like, ‘I have to leave at some point. If you’re not going to kill me, we should do a side project,'” Gilford said. We In May 2025. “It’s called Criminal Mind: Voit, and it follows what Voit does while he’s on earth. Somehow he either escapes or gets released, and he’s a white whale for the BAU. So Criminal Minds can move on and keep doing its own thing.” [unsub] But they’ll always say: ‘I wonder if Voit had something to do with it.’”
Voit was ultimately canceled before season 20.
“We can both hope [my character Voit will return] but all I know is that I’m not there to shoot right now,” he told Us of his potential return for Criminal Minds: Evolution season 20 in July 2026. “It was hard to say goodbye. “It was definitely one of my favorite characters that I’ve ever managed to play, partly because it’s such a gift.”
He continued: “I got to play a different aspect of this character every season. It wasn’t like I was doing the same thing every year.”
For Gilford, Criminal Minds was the perfect challenge, and he adds, “It was nice to give this guy some redemption and get the good guy note – so to speak. It’s weird. You finish a show and a lot of times you’re like, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to come back next year and if we’re going to have another season in general.’ I knew it was the end on this one.”
Gilford said he had a hard time saying goodbye to Criminal Minds.
“It was so sad and I actually said, ‘I’m not good with emotions,'” she shared. “So literally — before it was even officially packed — I felt like this was the last take. I just left. I didn’t say goodbye to anyone. I just snuck out. ‘Zach, where are you? Where did you go?’ they said. Then a few people saw me getting out of my car. “I said, ‘Bye, see you later.'”
Keep scrolling to see who will and won’t be back in season 20:
Joe Mantegna
Mantegna will return to the role of Rossi, a role he has played since replacing Mandy Patinkin on the original Criminal Minds series.
A.J. Cook
Cook will return to play JJ, who is still grieving the loss of her husband.
Kirsten Vangsness
Vangsness Garcia reprises her role.
Aisha Tyler
Another character who is safe is Tara.
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Zach Gilford
Gilford’s serial killer character is not expected to return, at least not in season 20.
Ryan-James Hatanaka
Hatanaka’s Tyler will continue to be a major part of the show in season 20.
Adam Rodriguez
Rodriguez returns as Luke, who is grieving a loss.
Paget Brewster
Prentiss is alive and well in the 20th season of Criminal Minds.