Mark Harmon is not the person to ask about whether Gibbs will return to NCIS — because he just doesn’t know.

The actor, 72, appeared on a panel at the Television Critics Association summer press tour on Saturday, July 13, to discuss narrating as present-day Leroy Jethro Gibbs on CBS‘ upcoming NCIS: Origins prequel series, which stars Austin Powell, and reflect on his 2021 exit.

“It wasn’t so much a decision to leave, but the right timing to push away a little bit,” Harmon said about his departure. “I was thrilled with the story line they came up with and how they handled the character. And the show continued on.”

Harmon was subsequently asked whether he could see himself returning in an onscreen capacity. (Harmon is still an executive producer on NCIS but hasn’t played Gibbs since early season 19.)

“I have been asked that a lot.” Harmon added. “[But] I’ve always let the writers do what they want to do.”

After the panel, Harmon was directly asked by TVLine whether NCIS ever invited him back in an official manner, to which he replied, “Directly, like a phone call? Not that I’m aware of.”

Harmon had a similar response about potentially returning for NCIS‘ eventual series finale. “I don’t know,” he noted. “It’s really about feeling like you’re fulfilled with a role or complete with a role.”

Harmon made his NCIS debut as Gibbs in 2003 and played the lead for 18 years. His final appearance, which aired in late 2021, showed Gibbs symbolically passing the torch to Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) by choosing to stay in Alaska and not return to Washington, D.C.

“What has always drawn me here is the character I play and to keep it fresh and to keep it challenging,” Harmon said about his departure in an August 2022 interview featured in the season 19 DVD release. “Plot-wise, this character has taken the path that it did.”

He reassured fans that Gibbs was still present in the NCIS universe, adding, “I’m not retired. The character is living in Alaska as far as I know.”

NCIS co-showrunner Steven D. Binder previously addressed Gibbs’ absence from the franchise’s 1,000th episode, which aired in April.

“Of course the door is always open,” he told TVLine earlier this year. “But when we bring him back, we’re not going to bring him back for two minutes. It’s got to be something special.”

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Harmon was subsequently asked whether he could see himself returning in an onscreen capacity. (Harmon is still an executive producer on NCIS but hasn’t played Gibbs since early season 19.)