Criminal minds is filming its 20th season – but not all cast members are returning after a shocking exit.
Criminal mindswhich premiered in 2005, is about a group of criminal profilers who work as members of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit. The crime drama explores various fictional cases and shows how behavioral analysis helps the team find unknown subjects.
The original Criminal minds The series was revived by Paramount+ after its initial conclusion in 2020. Criminal Minds: Evolution brought back most of the cast Joe Mantegna, AJ Cook, Vangsness, Aisha Tyler, Adam Rodriguez and Paget Brewster slip back into their roles. Other key figures – such as Matthew Gray Gubler‘s Reid – made cameos.
The first season of Criminal Minds: Evolution (aka Season 16 of the OG Criminal minds series) introduced Voit as the main opponent. The BAU spent the entire season hunting down the prolific killer, whom they linked to 62 murders and who was the mastermind in creating an online network of fellow serial killers.
Criminal Minds is back with a revival on Paramount+ – but fans have seen the cast change on and off screen since the storyline first aired. In 2005, viewers were introduced to a group of criminal profilers working as members of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit. The crime drama created by (…).
Voit’s status as a villain remained uncertain as he suffered significant memory loss, which resulted in him no longer being labeled a psychopath. Gilford and the rest Criminal minds The cast has admitted that Voit can’t stay on the series forever.
“I should have left the show a while ago and I said, ‘Well, I have to leave at some point. If you don’t want to kill me, we should have a spin-off,'” Gilford exclusively joked Us in May 2025. “It’s called Criminal Mind: Voit and it follows what Voit does when he’s out in the world. Somehow he escapes or he gets released and he’s this white whale for the BAU. So Criminal Minds can go ahead and have their (Unsub) of the week – but they’ll always be like, ‘I wonder if Voit had something to do with it.'”
Voit was finally written off before season 20.
“We can both hope (my character Voit will return), but I just know that I’m not there to film right now,” he told Us in July 2026 about his possible return for Season 20 of Criminal Minds: Evolution. “It was hard to say goodbye. It was definitely one of my favorite characters I’ve ever had the opportunity to play, and partly because it was a gift.”
He continued, “Each season I got to play a different side of this character. It wasn’t like I was doing the same thing every year.”
For Gilford, “Criminal Minds” was the perfect challenge, adding, “To give this guy some redemption and come out as a good guy, so to speak, was nice. That’s when I knew it was the end.”
Gilford told us he had a hard time saying goodbye to Criminal Minds.
“It was a bummer and I’m really like, ‘I’m not good with emotions,'” he shared. “So literally – before they were even officially done – I felt like it was the last take. I just left. And then a couple people saw me pulling out of my car. I’m like, ‘Bye, I’ll see you later.'”
Keep scrolling to see who’s coming back and who’s not:
Joe Mantegna
Mantegna is expected to return to the role of Rossi, which he has played since taking over from Mandy Patinkin in the original Criminal Minds series.
AJ Cook
Cook will return to play JJ, who is still grieving the loss of her husband.
Kirsten Vangsness
Vangsness reprises the role of Garcia.
Aisha Tyler
Another character who is safe is Tara.
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Zach Gilford
Gilford’s serial killer character is unlikely to return – at least not in season 20.
Ryan James Hatanaka
Hatanaka’s Tyler will remain an important part of the series in season 20.
Adam Rodríguez
Rodriguez returns as Luke, who is grieving a loss.
Paget Brewster
Prentiss is alive and well in Season 20 of Criminal Minds.
