All this time, we thought that Criminal Minds season 16 over on Paramount+ was going to be titled just that. Well, let’s just say that the streaming service has some other plans and they made those clear today.

As of Friday, the upcoming season is officially titled Criminal Minds: Evolution, a clear way to distinguish this show from what we saw in the past. This is still much of the show you love, with many cast members including Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Aisha Tyler, Adam Rodriguez and Paget Brewster set to play major roles. How much of an “evolution” is this really from the original show? We’ll have to wait and see on that.

Do you want to see everything we had to say on the Criminal Minds season 15 finale? If so, be sure to check out some of our thoughts below! Once you do that, be sure to SUBSCRIBE to Matt & Jess on YouTube for even more updates on the future.

What we can go ahead and also tell you is that there is some big-time casting news out there. Friday Night Lights alum Zach Gilford is slated to appear in a season long arc as a potential Big Bad named Elias Voit. Paramount+ describes him as “an operations analyst for a global cyber-security firm who has a dark side and obsession with death.” Sound creepy? If nothing else, he absolutely fits the bill for some of what we know and/or expect with this show.

Of course, the new season is already in production, and we think that it’s going to be premiering (hopefully) at some point early next year. While there may not be a firm premiere date as of yet, it makes sense for the streaming service to get some more news out there before the end of the year. Why wouldn’t they want that?

Related – Will is going to appear on Criminal Minds season 16!

What do you think about Criminal Minds: Evolution serving as the new title for the series?

Are you excited to learn what else is in store? Be sure to share right now in the comments! Once you do just that, come back for other updates you do not want to miss. (Photo: Paramount+.)

This article was written by Jessica BunBun. Be sure to follow her on Twitter.