Matthew Gray Gubler Confirms Criminal Minds Return

Criminal Minds actor Matthew Gray Gubler has confirmed his return to the show in a new interview. Known for his breakout role as Dr. Spencer Reid in the long-running crime drama, Gubler appeared in all 15 seasons of the original Criminal Minds. Though he is one of the few core cast members not to reprise their role for the Paramount+ revival Criminal Minds: Evolution, the actor has maintained his openness to returning as Dr. Reid down the line.

In a recent interview with ANSA, to discuss his work as an author and illustrator, Gubler briefly mentions that he has “shot a new episode of Criminal Minds.” It’s worth noting that Gubler could mean that he returned as a director, since he directed several episodes of the original series. The quote is below, translated from Italian:

I shot a new episode of Criminal Minds, I’m working on a film about Halloween, and I’m doing shows, comedies in theater around America.

His Absence Has Been Explained

Criminal Minds: Evolution has mentioned that Reid is on sabbatical and that it would be up to him whether he will return to the BAU. That lingering thread is to account for Gubler’s absence, though it also lines up with what happened to Reid in the Criminal Minds season 15 finale. Reid suffers a brain injury in the penultimate episode. He would go on to make a full recovery, but not before spending time as a passenger in his own mind, emotionally battling his way back to survival and imagining familiar faces along the way.

It makes sense that Reid would not necessarily want to be back in the thick of the BAU after one more close call. However, the possibility has remained open for Gubler to appear in some capacity. Erica Messer, the showrunner of the Paramount+ revival, has mentioned in several interviews that she would love for Gubler to be back as Reid. However, that hasn’t worked out because of timing and scheduling issues. A recent development could have eased those conflicts.

It was reported in October that Gubler will lead the Einstein pilot for CBS, playing Albert Einstein’s great-grandson. At the time, it was speculated that the new project could potentially give room for the actor to come back as Dr. Reid since the Einstein pilot hails from CBS Studios, which is a co-producer on Criminal Minds: Evolution.

Gubler could simply be directing an episode of Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3, having stepped behind the camera to helm 12 episodes of the original. More will likely be announced regarding Gubler’s involvement, or at least the stars of the series and crew will have the chance to address it, as the new installment of the Paramount+ drama moves closer to debuting and the team behind the hit drama begins giving interviews.

Our Take On Gubler’s Potential Return

His Character Is Sorely Missed, Even As Gubler Has Branched Out

Gubler has been busy in recent years, writing two children’s books that are best-sellers. The first book that Gubler wrote and illustrated has the title of Rumple Buttercup: A Story of Bananas, Belonging and Being Yourself. Released in 2019, it built up readership in just weeks and climbed up the book charts. More recently, in 2023, Gubler published The Little Kid with the Big Green Hand. It once again struck a chord with readers, becoming a New York Times Best Seller in its respective category.

Around the time that Criminal Minds ended and since then, the actor has had a few different roles. He starred opposite Alison Brie in the Netflix mystery thriller Horse Girl, which released in 2020, and he also had a leading role in the supernatural comedy King Knight. Written and directed by Richard Bates Jr., the story centered on two respected coven leaders that find themselves plunged into chaos. But since stepping away from the role of Spencer Reid, Gubler hasn’t taken on projects on the small screen.

Related

Matthew Gray Gubler’s New Show Can Accomplish What Criminal Minds Failed To Do For Reid In 15 Years

Matthew Gray Gubler is most known for his role as Reid in Criminal Minds, but the actor will be on a show that might entail something new for Gubler.

He may also soon lead a CBS show if Einstein is picked up, with a character that is like Reid in some ways but very different in others. The lead character of the CBS pilot, Lew Einstein, is a tenured professor and a wild party boy. After he gets in trouble with the law, thanks to his hard-partying tendencies, he is forced to help Detective Maddie Paris (played by Rosa Salazar) solve the most difficult cases by relying on his genius.

Nevertheless, his time as Spencer Reid continues to have a major impact, which speaks to the ease and chemistry that the actor built with the rest of the Criminal Minds cast and the desire to see Gubler interact with some of his old BAU friends. It’s no surprise that, even years later, fans want to see him return. It would be exciting to see Gubler involved in the newest era of Criminal Minds, but until further details are revealed, we can only speculate that he must’ve returned for a good reason.

Source: ANSA

In Criminal Minds: Evolution, the FBI’s elite team of criminal profilers come up against their greatest threat yet, an UnSub who has used the pandemic to build a network of other serial killers. As the world opens back up and the network goes operational, the team must hunt them down, one murder at a time. Original cast members continuing their roles include Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Aisha Tyler, Adam Rodriguez and Paget Brewster. Zach Gilford joins the dynamic cast as a recurring guest star in a season-long arc.

Release Date

November 24, 2022

Seasons

2

Writers

Erica Messer

Showrunner

Erica Messer

Creator(s)

Erica Messer

Prequel

Criminal Minds

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