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Criminal Minds is filming season 20 — but not every cast member is coming back after a shocking exit.
Criminal Minds, which premiered in 2005, follows a group of criminal profilers who work for the FBI as members of its Behavioral Analysis Unit. The crime drama explores different fictional cases and shows how behavioral analysis helps the team locate their unknown subjects.
The original Criminal Minds series was revived by Paramount+ after its initial conclusion in 2020. Criminal Minds: Evolution brought back most of the cast with Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Vangsness, Aisha Tyler, Adam Rodriguez and Paget Brewster reprising their roles. Other key characters — such as Matthew Gray Gubler‘s Reid — have made cameos.
The first season of Criminal Minds: Evolution (a.k.a. season 16 of the OG Criminal Minds series) introduced Voit as the main antagonist. The BAU spent the entire season hunting down the prolific killer, who they linked to 62 murders and was the mastermind behind setting up an online network of fellow serial killers.
Voit’s status as the villain was left up in the air when he had significant memory loss that caused him to no longer be labeled as a psychopath. Gilford and the rest of the Criminal Minds cast have acknowledged that Voit can’t remain on the show for good.
“I was supposed to leave the show a while ago and I’ve been pitching, ‘Well, I have to leave at some point. If you’re not going to kill me, we should have a spinoff,’” Gilford quipped exclusively to Us in May 2025. “It’s called Criminal Mind: Voit and it follows what Voit is doing when he is out in the world. Somehow he either escapes or he gets released and he is this white whale to the BAU. So Criminal Minds can keep going and having their [unsub] of the week — but they’ll always be like, ‘I wonder if Voit had something to do with this.’”
Voit was ultimately written off ahead of season 20.
“We can both hope [my character Voit will return] but all I know is I’m not there filming right now,” he told Us in July 2026 of his potential return for season 20 of Criminal Minds: Evolution. “It was hard to say goodbye. It definitely was one of my favorite characters I’ve ever gotten to play and partially because what a gift.”
He continued: “Every season I got to do a different side of this character. It wasn’t like I was just doing the same thing every year.”
For Gilford, Criminal Minds was the perfect challenge, adding, “To give this guy some redemption and go out on a good guy note — so to speak — was nice. It’s weird. You wrap a show and a lot of times you’re like, ‘I don’t know if I’m coming back next year and if we’re going to have another season in general.’ On this, I did know that it was the end.”
Gilford told Us he struggled to say goodbye to Criminal Minds.
“It was a bummer and I am really like, ‘I’m not good with emotions,’” he shared. “So I literally — before they even officially wrapped — I had a feeling it was the last take. I just left. I didn’t say goodbye to anyone. I just snuck out. They’re like, ‘Zach, where are you? Where’d you go?’ And then a few people saw me driving out of my car. I’m like, ‘Bye, I’ll see you later.’”
Keep scrolling to see who is and isn’t coming back in season 20:
Joe Mantegna
Mantegna is set to return in the role of Rossi, which he has played since taking over for Mandy Patinkin in the original Criminal Minds show.
A. J. Cook
Cook will return to play JJ, who is still mourning the loss of her husband.
Kirsten Vangsness
Vangsness is reprising the role of Garcia.
Aisha Tyler
Another character who is safe is Tara.
Zach Gilford
Gilford’s serial killer character isn’t expected to return — at least during season 20.
Ryan-James Hatanaka
Hatanaka’s Tyler will remain an important part of the show in season 20.
Adam Rodriguez
Rodriguez is returning as Luke, who has been mourning a loss.
Paget Brewster
Prentiss is alive and well in season 20 of Criminal Minds.
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