Law & Order: SVU has gone through some cast changes – but what does that mean for season 28?
The series, which premiered in 1999, follows detectives from the NYPD’s Special Victims Unit as they investigate and prosecute sex crimes of varying magnitudes. The legal drama plays the main role Mariska Hargitay, Ice T, Peter Scanavino and more – although there have been several character departures over the years.
Before NBC renewed Law & Order: SVU For season 27, multiple outlets confirmed this in May 2025 Octavio Pisano And Juliana Martinez, who embody Detective Joe Velasco and Detective Kate Silva respectively, left the series at the end of the current season Michele Potter was announced as the series’ first female showrunner.
I had giddishAmanda Rollins has now officially returned SVU in Season 27, after leaving midway through Season 24 in 2022 after more than a decade on the series. She guest starred in various episodes throughout seasons 25 and 26 before being confirmed as a series regular.
All good things must come to an end, even when it comes to television. Over the years, many television stars have suddenly left their roles – while others have been written out of a series without much notice. Anna Faris announced in September 2020 that she was leaving CBS’ Mom after starring in (…)
Giddish isn’t the only one whose role in the series has changed. Keep scrolling to see who’s returning – and who’s not – in Season 28:
Mariska Hargitay
Without Hargitay’s Olivia Benson, there would be no SVU.
Ice T
Ice-T confirmed that his character Fin would appear in all episodes of season 28 after undergoing a reduced screen time a year earlier.
Chris Meloni
With Meloni’s spin-off coming to an end, there is hope that Stabler would return.
Peter Scanavino
Scanavino’s Carisi is a fan favorite, so his future on Law & Order: SVU is assured.
Octavio Pisano
Pisano is not expected to appear as frequently again after leaving the show.
It’s never easy to say an unexpected goodbye to your favorite characters – and 2026 brought a flood of shocking departures to our television screens from Grey’s Anatomy to Virgin River. Virgin River fans were surprised when showrunner Patrick Sean Smith confirmed that several characters had been axed from the series after Season 7. Marco Grazzini spoke (…)
Kevin Kane
Kane will also likely return to the show.
I liked Donna Kelly
Following her promotion, Kelly is expected to return as Captain Renee Curry.
I had giddish
Giddish’s Rollins is back and better than ever on Law & Order: SVU.
Corey Cott
After Cott was promoted in the series, he became more prominent as Detective Jake Griffin.
