‘CIA’: Nick Gehlfuss & Michael Michele Join Tom Ellis As Leads Of ‘FBI’ Offshoot

Nick Gehlfuss is a Dick Wolf universe OG again. The Chicago Med alum and and Michael Michele, who recurred on another Wolf series, New York Undercover, are set as leads alongside Tom Ellis on CBS’ upcoming crime drama series CIA.

The FBI offshoot centers on two unlikely partners – a fast-talking, rule-breaking loose cannon CIA case officer (Ellis), and a by-the-book, seasoned and smart FBI agent (Gehlfuss) who believes in the rule of law. When this odd couple are assigned to work out of CIA’s New York Station, they must learn to work together to investigate cases and criminals posing threats on U.S. soil, finding that their differences may actually be their strength.

Michele is believed to be playing the series’ third lead, the head of CIA’s New York Station. 

CIA is scheduled to debut in midseason 2026. Originally planned for a fall 2025 premiere, the series in July was pushed to midseason while also undergoing a showrunner change. Warren Leight was tapped to replace FBI: Most Wanted showrunner David Hudgins, who originally was set to lead the series and co-write the pilot script with FBI, Law & Order & Chicago franchise boss Dick Wolf.

Wolf and Leight executive produce CIA alongside Nicole Perlman, David Chasteen, and Peter Jankowski. Eriq La Salle remains attached to direct and executive produce the pilot episode. Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, produces in association with Wolf Entertainment and CBS Studios.

Gehlfuss was an original cast members on Wolf Entertainment’s NBC drama Chicago Med and played fan-favorite character Dr. Will Halstead for eight season. He is reprising his role in a guest starring appearance on the medical drama’s upcoming 11th season.

Recently, Gehlfuss finished a run with Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theater in its production of Fool For Love, directed by Jeremy Herrin. His other TV credits include recurring roles on Showtime’s Shameless, HBO’s Newsroom and Starz’s Power, among others. He’s repped by Gersh, MJ Management and Jackoway Austen Tyerman et al.

Michele is coming off a recurring role opposite Queen Latifah on another CBS/Universal TV drime drama, The Equalizer. She was a series regular on Lee Daniel’s Empire spinoff Star and on the Emmy-winning NBC series Homicide: Life On the Street and ER. Michele, who also recurred on Queen Sugar, is repped by Untitled Entertainment, Innovative Artists and Schreck Rose Dapello Adams Berlin & Dunham.