Summary
TheCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 2 showrunner addresses the chances of Derek Morgan returning to the show. Morgan is portrayed by Shemar Moore onCriminal Minds, beginning his tenure all the way back in 2005 when the show first began. The CBS proceduralis still running, and finished its 16th overall season last year on Paramount+, now under the subtitleEvolution.Criminal Minds: Evolutionseason 2has since been confirmed and will premiere on June 6.
As perTVLine, showrunner Erica Messer provides an update as to whether Moore will return forCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 2. According to the creative, they “didn’t have any” chance to include Moore in the first season due to his involvement in CBS' ownS.W.A.T., and that still seems to be the case. Check out the quote from Messer below:
We didn’t have any [opportunity] this season; he was, he thought, finishing his run onS.W.A.T., and now they have a renewal.
S.W.A.T.was originally supposed to end with its recent season 7, but was later renewed for season 8.
Why Derek Morgan Should Return to Criminal Minds (But Won’t)
Morgan Was A Key Part Of The Original Team
Derek Morgan was first introduced toCriminal Mindsin the pilot episode, “Extreme Aggressor,” back in 2005.He was a mainstay on the series up throughCriminal Mindsseason 11, when his actor decided to move on to other projects, forcing Morgan to be written out of the show. Since then, the character has made a couple of cameo appearances, but nothing regular. As a charismatic and well-established character in the series, Moore’s return appearances were always welcomed onCriminal Minds.
As a result, bringing back Morgan forCriminal Minds: Evolutionwould help return the series to a strong and grounded place. However, the reason why Moore originally left the show — to develop his career in other avenues — is more of a barrier now than ever.When the actor started onCriminal Minds, he was a relative unknownon primetime, though he had a sizable role on the soap operaThe Young and the Restless. FollowingCriminal Minds, he has voiced Cyborg in various animated DC movies and starred as Randall inSonic the Hedgehog 2.
Most notably, Moore plays the lead role on the CBS seriesS.W.A.T, which Messer references in her commentary. Since hisS.W.A.Tdebut, Moore has only guest-starred in two episodes ofCriminal Minds. This fact suggests that Moore’s distance fromCriminal Mindsis still sizable, and that he is not available for more. While Messer did not absolutely rule out the chances of Moore’s return toCriminal Minds,it seems Morgan’s appearance chances inEvolutionseason 2 are slim to none.
Moore himself has said he is open to returning toCriminal Mindsshould the opportunity arise.
Criminal Minds: Evolution
Cast
InCriminal Minds: Evolution, the FBI’s elite team of criminal profilers come up against their greatest threat yet, an UnSub who has used the pandemic to build a network of other serial killers. As the world opens back up and the network goes operational, the team must hunt them down, one murder at a time. Original cast members continuing their roles include Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Aisha Tyler, Adam Rodriguez and Paget Brewster. Zach Gilford joins the dynamic cast as a recurring guest star in a season-long arc.
