#Is Wilmer Valderrama leaving NCIS for new Zorro TV series?

Is Wilmer Valderrama leaving NCIS at the end of the current season? Based on some new reports, it’s easy to imagine that this may be the case.

According to a report from TVLine, Wilmer is set to star in an updated version of Zorro, which is in early development at Disney Branded Television. There’s no guarantee that this series will even happen yet, but this furthers a partnership between the actor and Disney that we saw pay off in a big way with Encanto. 

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In a statement, here is what Valderrama (who would also be an executive producer) had to say:

“Growing up, Zorro was the one character that made me, as a Latino, feel like I could be a hero. As an adult and a storyteller, I have a responsibility for the stories that I help bring to life. To partner with Gary [Marsh of Disney General Entertainment] and Disney to bring Zorro back into the family after 60 years and be a part of the legacy for other children to know they too can be the heroes of their own stories is a dream come true.”

We’re thrilled for Wilmer; this seems like a really personal project for him, and it has to be incredibly fulfilling to try and bring this to life.

Is this the end for Wilmer on NCIS?

There is no indication as of yet that season 19 will be the last one for the CBS series, and rather than wait around to figure out the future of this show, this move could represent Valderrama taking more of the future into his own hands. It may be possible that he could juggle both projects, but it would depend a lot on shooting schedules.

Losing Wilmer at this point would be a big blow to NCIS, given that in the past year they’ve already lost Maria Bello, Emily Wickersham, and to a large extent Mark Harmon. He’s still a part of the opening credits and yet, we haven’t seen him since the end of episode 4. This is definitely a story to watch, especially since we do expect for now that an NCIS season 20 will happen.

Related – Be sure to get some more news on NCIS, including details on the next new episode

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