No, Marty Deeks Won't Be Returning To The NCIS Franchise Any Time Soon — What Eric Christian Olsen Is Up To Now

Marty Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen) was one of the main officers on the NCIS: Los Angeles team, and though he was a fan favorite, it's unlikely Deeks is ever going reappear in another NCIS show. There have been eight spinoffs of the NCIS franchise and NCIS: Los Angeles premiered in September 2009 and lasted for 14 seasons. Like the other shows in the NCIS franchise, NCIS: Los Angeles follows the Naval Criminal Investigative Service in the Los Angeles area, which generally puts them in contact with Cartel elements and problems across the border.

The main cast for NCIS: Los Angeles did not change all that much, save for the notable exception of Marty Deeks, who started as a guest character in season 1 before moving into the main cast. Deeks is an undercover operative who serves as the liaison between the NCIS team and LAPD, a position that gains him plenty of rivals on both sides. Despite his devil-may-care attitude, Deeks has proven his usefulness and courage over and over. That, and Deeks' relationship with Kensi, were two of the big reasons fans hoped he would eventually return to a different spinoff.

Deeks Actor Eric Christian Olsen Gave A Clipped Response On His Chances Of Returning To NCIS

Olsen Has No Interest In Returning To NCIS

At the end of NCIS: Los Angeles, Deeks and Kensi (Daniela Ruah) learn they will be having a baby and are both preparing for their new lives afterward. As much as people may want Marty Deeks to return to the NCIS franchise, actor Eric Christian Olsen has shot down any suggestions that his character could return. When asked how he felt about LL Cool J reprising his NCIS role on NCIS: Hawaii and if that made him want to return as Deeks, Olsen said (via TVLine),

"I actively miss Todd, and I was texting with Renee [Felice Smith] this morning, and I see [sister-in-law] Daniela [Ruah] all the time…"

But when cornered about his role specifically, Olsen said, "not so much", when it came to wanting to play Marty Deeks again.

From a quote like that, it sounds like 14 seasons of NCIS: Los Angeles was enough for the actor. Marty Deeks did get himself a proper sendoff in the series after all. He's happily married to Kensi and is now having a child with a woman he loves. Deeks has been through a lot on the show, almost dying multiple times. It seems like a good time to rest. Since NCIS: Los Angeles has ended as well, Deeks' absence from the franchise really won't cause too much of a problem, if it does at all.

After Playing Deeks, Olsen Is An Executive Producer On The Matlock Reboot

Olsen Has Produced Previously

Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen) shocked that he's fired in the NCIS LA season 9 finale.

Playing Marty Deeks on NCIS: Los Angeles for over a decade certainly took up a big chunk of Eric Christian Olsen's schedule, and now that he's done, he's already set his sights on more work. In 2024, Olsen signed on as an executive producer of the Matlock reboot series starring Kathy Bates. The show has been renewed for Matlock season 2 and Bates earned a Golden Globe nomination for her performance. While Olsen does not appear in the show, he says he often pictures himself playing characters in the comedy sequences.

Eric Christian Olsen Producing Credits
Title	Medium	Year
Bald	Short	2014
Andy Irons: Kissed by God	Documentary Movie	2018
Woke	TV Show	2020-2022
Matlock	TV Show	2024-Present

He mentally inserts himself into "these really good, dramatic or funny scenes" on Matlock, "because they’re so beautiful." While it doesn't appear that Olsen has anything in the works beyond Matlock at the moment, the upcoming season 2 is likely taking up a lot of his time. It's only been one year since he stopped playing Marty Deeks on NCIS: Los Angeles and he's still getting his feet wet in the producing world. Olsen is sure to have more projects in the pipeline shortly.