The BAU's Next Chapter: Where The 'Criminal Minds' Cast Is Now And Who's Returning For 'Evolution' Season 4

The BAU team is back, but the real-life paths of the beloved 'Criminal Minds' cast have taken some unexpected and fascinating turns. As of December 2025, the core team is deep into the production of the next chapter of the revival series, Criminal Minds: Evolution, but the actors who once walked the halls of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) are also conquering new territory in film, television, and even the stage. This article dives into the most current and up-to-date projects for every major player, revealing who has returned to profile Unsubs and who has moved on to their own exciting new ventures.

The revival, which streams on Paramount+, has successfully brought the intense, character-driven procedural drama back to life, focusing on a network of serial killers built during the pandemic. However, the biggest question for fans remains: What are the original stars doing now, and will the missing profilers ever return?

The Evolution Continues: Cast Members Confirmed for Season 4 and Beyond

The success of Criminal Minds: Evolution has cemented a new era for the series, with many of the longest-running cast members returning to their iconic roles. Filming updates from the cast in late 2024 and early 2025 confirm that the BAU is set to tackle more chilling cases in the upcoming seasons.

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Joe Mantegna (SSA David Rossi)

• Character: Supervisory Special Agent David Rossi, the BAU's senior statesman and co-founder.
• Current Status: Mantegna is the anchor of the Criminal Minds: Evolution cast, reprising his role as Rossi. He continues to be a central figure in the revival series, with Season 4 (Season 19 of the overall series) confirmed to be in production.
• Non-BAU Projects (2024-2025): Mantegna remains active in voice work, notably continuing his long-running role as Fat Tony on the iconic animated series The Simpsons. He is also involved in various producing and directing ventures outside of his acting commitments.

Paget Brewster (SSA Emily Prentiss)

• Character: Supervisory Special Agent Emily Prentiss, the Unit Chief of the BAU.
• Current Status: Brewster has been a key voice in providing updates for the revival. She is confirmed to return as Unit Chief Prentiss for the next seasons of Evolution. Her social media activity in late 2024 indicated that filming for the upcoming season was wrapping up, suggesting a 2025 release date.
• Non-BAU Projects (2024-2025): Outside of profiling, Brewster is a prolific voice actress, lending her talent to various animated projects. She has been a consistent presence in the voice acting world, which she often balances with her live-action role as Prentiss.

A.J. Cook (SSA Jennifer "JJ" Jareau)

• Character: Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau, a profiler known for her emotional depth and tactical skills.
• Current Status: Cook is fully committed to the Criminal Minds: Evolution revival. Her character, JJ, continues to be a core member of the team, navigating complex personal and professional challenges. She is confirmed for Season 4.
• Non-BAU Projects (2024-2025): Cook’s primary focus remains the BAU, as evidenced by her character's deep involvement in the latest storylines. She has also taken on a role behind the camera, directing episodes of the series, showcasing her growing interest in other aspects of production.

Kirsten Vangsness (Penelope Garcia)

• Character: Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia, the BAU's indispensable, colorful, and highly skilled hacker.
• Current Status: Vangsness is a staple of the Evolution cast, with Garcia's return being crucial to the revival's success. She has been actively promoting the new seasons and sharing behind-the-scenes looks with fans in 2024 and 2025.
• Non-BAU Projects (2024-2025): Vangsness is also a writer and playwright. She has been involved in stage productions and continues to pursue her writing projects, demonstrating her versatility beyond the BAU's tech room.

Where Are They Now? The Stars Who Left the BAU Behind

While the revival brought back much of the original team, some of the most iconic actors have moved on to new, high-profile projects. Their current work answers the long-standing fan curiosity about their careers post-BAU.

Matthew Gray Gubler (Dr. Spencer Reid)

• Character: Dr. Spencer Reid, the genius Supervisory Special Agent.
• Current Status: Gubler has been notably absent from the first two seasons of Criminal Minds: Evolution, much to the dismay of fans. The actor's focus has shifted to new creative endeavors, primarily starring in his own television show.
• Non-BAU Projects (2024-2025): Gubler is set to star in and produce the new CBS procedural dramedy pilot titled 'Einstein' in 2024. He will play the great-grandson of Albert Einstein, a physics professor and detective consultant. This new role marks his return to CBS in a series lead capacity outside of the Criminal Minds universe, confirming his busy schedule as the reason for his absence from the BAU.

Shemar Moore (SSA Derek Morgan)

• Character: Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan, the BAU's resident strongman and technical expert.
• Current Status: Moore has been a massive success on CBS with his own series, S.W.A.T., where he plays Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson. Despite the main series wrapping up, his connection to the network is stronger than ever.
• Non-BAU Projects (2024-2025): Following the conclusion of S.W.A.T., Moore is set to star in and produce a new spinoff series, 'S.W.A.T. Exiles', which was announced in late 2024. This new project will see his character, Hondo, leading an elite international S.W.A.T. team, ensuring Moore remains a major presence on prime-time television.

Mandy Patinkin (SSA Jason Gideon)

• Character: Supervisory Special Agent Jason Gideon, the BAU's original and most brilliant senior profiler.
• Current Status: Patinkin, who left the original series early, has continued a highly successful career in film and television, most famously starring in Homeland. His recent work has a deeply personal and comedic tone.
• Non-BAU Projects (2024-2025): Patinkin is starring in the upcoming comedy series 'Seasoned', which is based on the real-life relationship between him and his wife, Kathryn Grody. The series is set to premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Festival, making it one of his most anticipated projects. He is also involved in a narrative project called "Exile," providing new voiceovers in 2024.

The Controversial Departures: Hotchner and Others

The history of Criminal Minds includes some controversial exits, most notably the firing of Thomas Gibson. Fans are always curious about what these actors are doing now, especially since they were not invited back for the Evolution revival.

Thomas Gibson (SSA Aaron Hotchner)

• Character: Supervisory Special Agent Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner, the stoic and dedicated Unit Chief.
• Current Status: After his controversial departure from the series in 2016, Gibson kept a low profile in Hollywood, taking on smaller film and voice roles.
• Non-BAU Projects (2024-2025): In a significant return to his roots, the actor Thomas Gibson co-starred in a new play by Charles Busch titled 'Ibsen's Ghost' in New York in 2024. This return to the stage, where he began his career, is his most high-profile acting work in years, signaling a new chapter after his long run on television.

Daniel Henney (SSA Matt Simmons)

• Character: Supervisory Special Agent Matt Simmons, originally from the International Response Team (IRT).
• Current Status: Henney has maintained a steady career in both American and international cinema. He was not part of the initial Evolution revival cast.
• Non-BAU Projects (2024-2025): Henney continues to star in the popular fantasy series 'The Wheel of Time' as Lan Mandragoran, which has been renewed for multiple seasons. His commitment to this major Amazon Prime Video series is a likely reason for his absence from the BAU.

The Future of the BAU: What to Expect in Evolution Season 4

The upcoming season of Criminal Minds: Evolution, which is effectively Season 4 of the revival and Season 19 overall, is expected to delve deeper into the personal lives of the BAU team while tracking a new, formidable Unsub. The return of the core cast—Rossi, Prentiss, JJ, Garcia, and Alvez—ensures the continuity of the show's intense profiling and emotional stakes. The show's commitment to telling a long-form, season-long story about a single Unsub network has revitalized the format and successfully captured the attention of a new streaming audience. Fans can look forward to more fresh, dark, and complex criminal minds being profiled by their favorite agents.

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