Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3 – Cast, Story & Everything We Know

The procedural series Criminal Minds: Evolution resurrected the original show after a short stint off the air, and now it is set to return for season 3. Continuing the success of Criminal Minds which ran from 2005 until 2020, Evolution follows the familiar FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit team as they try to crack the touch case of the Gold Star killer. Unlike the original series, which was a pure procedural and featured an episodic format, Evolution shifted toward a serialized narrative involving one long ongoing storyline that has carried over between its two seasons thus far.

Welcomed back by fans with open arms, Criminal Minds: Evolution was an unsurprising hit and was swiftly green-lit for a second season on Paramount+. In Evolution‘s second season, the team continues to hunt for the elusive Gold Star, while being forced to get help from another notorious criminal who has vexed them for years. The serialized nature of the newest seasons has been a refreshing change of pace, and helps set Criminal Minds: Evolution apart from the plethora of other procedurals in TV history. All this sets the stage for an explosive season 3, and Paramount+ has already renewed.

Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3 Latest News

Matthew Gray Gubler Has “Shot A New Episode”

With the show firmly in the production phase of its next season, the latest news confirms that Matthew Gray Gubler has returned to Criminal Minds. Best known for playing the brainy Dr. Spencer Reid in all 15 seasons of the original series, Gubler was conspicuously absent in the first two seasons of the revival. Now, Gubler has revealed that he has “shot a new episode of Criminal Minds.“ It’s unclear if Gubler means he came back to play Reid, or if he simply directed an episode of Evolution season 3.

Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3 Is Confirmed

Paramount+ Swiftly Renewed The Series

With the news breaking a day before the second season was set to begin airing, Paramount+ has renewed Criminal Minds: Evolution for a third season. The decision is anything but surprising, and the recognizable procedural has continued to be popular despite the passage of time and the original show’s cancelation in 2020. No details about the new season are known yet, but it will go into production later in 2024.

The decision to rush the show back into production is a prudent one, and Evolution was one of many shows that were delayed due to the 2023 Hollywood strikes. Fortunately, the success of the franchise all but guarantees that the second season will be a hit, even if fans had to wait longer for new episodes. With filming starting back up in fall 2024, it signals that Paramount+ wants the show on a yearly schedule.

Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3 Cast

Which BAU Team Members Will Return?

As the ending of Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2 proved, the new serialized version of the procedural is not afraid to put main characters in danger. With that in mind, the cast of season 3 is anything but certain, and Elias Voit (Zach Gilford) was left hanging by a thread after his prison attack. However, its certain that the BAU team will be on hand to reprise their roles including Joe Mantegna as the stalwart leader, David Rossi. Furthermore, veterans like Paget Brewster and Kirsten Vangsness should also be expected back as Prentiss and Garcia, respectively.

The cast of season 3 has already begun to grow with the addition of Aimee Garcia (Lucifer) as Dr. Julia Ochoa in a multi-episode arc. The character is a brilliant neuropsychiatrist who is expected to clash with Alvez over her unorthodox methods. Matthew Gray Gubler (Dr. Spencer Reid) revealed he has shot a new episode of Criminal Minds, but it’s unclear if that means an onscreen return or a return to the director’s chair.

The prospective cast of Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3 includes:

Will Reid & Morgan Return In Season 3?

The Original Series Stars Were Not In Seasons 1 & 2

Perhaps the most discussed aspect of Criminal Minds: Evolution has been the absence of original series actors Matthew Gray Gubler as Dr. Spencer Reid and Shemar Moore as Derek Morgan. Gubler starred in all 15 seasons of the original series, while Moore departed in season 11. Both have been sorely missed in the rebooted series thus far, but their returns have potentially left open. Gubler’s Reid is still employed by the FBI in the show’s universe, and he is simply away on another assignment.

Morgan’s return is a bit less open, and when he departed the series, his character also departed the FBI entirely. However, with Moore’s other series, S.W.A.T. potentially ending soon, he could return somehow. Likewise, Gubler mentioned in December 2024 that he had shot a new episode of Criminal Minds, but it’s unclear if he means as an actor or as a director. With all that said, neither Gubler’s nor Moore’s onscreen returns have been confirmed, and it would likely be big news if one or both opted to reprise their roles.

Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3 Story Details

Did Voit Survive The Attack?

Season 2 of Evolution wrapped up the Gold Star storyline but left plenty of cliffhangers for season 3 to resolve. First and foremost, Elias Voit’s identity was leaked, which led to a dangerous attack in prison. Voit’s fate is left up in the air, though actor Zach Gilford is confirmed to return in season 3. Even if Gold Star has been solved, there is clearly a bigger conspiracy afoot which could pull the team into another mind-bending journey in Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3 and beyond.