#Is David McCallum leaving NCIS after season 18? Where is Ducky?

Is David McCallum leaving NCIS after season 18? We recognize that this is a question that’s been out there for a while. However, recent information has caused more panic than usual about the fate of Ducky on the long-running series.

If you missed it, cast member Wilmer Valderrama posted a photo on Instagram earlier today of much of the team (sans Ducky) standing next to each other wearing suits and formal wear. Meanwhile, most of them are all smiling. Is this evidence that the writers are killing Ducky off?

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We do understand the impulse to be worried about Ducky at the moment — just think about what we’ve seen NCIS do as of late! This is a show that killed off both Breena Palmer and Emily Fornell in the span of just a few episodes, and this has been a particularly-morbid season. There’s just a few things about the idea of McCallum leaving that don’t feel right.

Take, for example, the lack of any announcement that David is departing after nearly two decades. It was known well before Maria Bello’s exit that she would be saying goodbye to the show — why would this be any different? McCallum has said nothing about an exit, and honestly, it would be incredibly strange/morbid for the entire cast to be standing around in funeral attire smiling over Ducky’s demise, even for just a candid, out-of-context photo. We’re talking about one of the only original series regulars left next to Mark Harmon! (If you look closely at that photo, we don’t actually think everyone is even wearing funeral attire — they are dressed up for some sort of event, but it doesn’t chart with what we tend to see at a memorial service.)

There are two other things to consider on this issue, also.

Why David McCallum has been MIA – We don’t believe that this has anything to do with him departing the show; it may just be due to health and safety matters. Remember that McCallum is 87 years old, and keeping him mostly away from set could be both him and the show acting out of an abundance of caution during this crisis. He was a part of the 400th episode, and they’ve found ways to include him remotely here and there. (Also, writing out McCallum because he’s unable to be on set due to the virus would be pretty darn infuriating.)

The photo being posted to begin with – If that image was really from a funeral, do you think that Wilmer would be allowed to post it? NCIS cast members are typically good at keeping big spoilers under wraps. They all kept Ziva’s return quiet, or at least those who knew zipped their lips over it.

So while nothing is confirmed one way or another, we’re skeptical that this image has anything to do with Ducky — hopefully, we continue to see him in some form in a potential season 19.

Do you think David McCallum could be leaving NCIS and the Ducky role soon?

Be sure to let us know in the comments, and stick around for more NCIS updates and spoilers! (Photo: CBS.)

This article was written by Jess Carter. Be sure to follow her on Twitter.