Leon Vance is currently the director of NCIS in the TV series, played by actor Rocky Carroll.

Quick Scoop: Who Is the New Director of NCIS?

Even though fans sometimes ask “who is the new director of NCIS,” there actually has not been a new on-screen director replacing Leon Vance as of the latest seasons. Vance has held the position of Director within the show’s universe since he took over after the death of former Director Jenny Shepard.

  • The current director in the show’s storyline: Leon James Vance.
  • The actor who plays him: Rocky Carroll.
  • He became director after Jenny Shepard’s death, moving up from Assistant Director.
  • Within the NCIS universe, he works out of the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., overseeing agency operations.

There has been some recent buzz and speculation that the show might be setting up a possible exit or transition for Vance in newer seasons, but as of the latest available information, no permanent replacement director has actually taken over on screen. Fans and forum discussions often treat any hint of his departure as a “who will be the new director?” moment, but it is still in the realm of speculation rather than confirmed canon.

Mini Timeline of NCIS Directors (In-Universe)

  1. Thomas Morrow – Earlier series director (seen before Jenny Shepard, mentioned in show lore).
  1. Jenny Shepard – Director before Vance, killed in the line of duty.
  1. Leon Vance – Assistant Director who was promoted to Director after Shepard’s death and has remained in charge since.

This long tenure is why many fans see him as a core part of the NCIS “status quo.”

On-Screen vs. Behind the Camera

Some confusion online comes from mixing up the director of NCIS (the character) and the director of NCIS (the episode director) :

  • Character : Leon Vance, Director of NCIS in the story.
  • Episode director : Rocky Carroll has also directed episodes of the show, which leads to headlines like “Rocky Carroll directs new episode of NCIS.”

So if you see people asking “who is the new director of NCIS?” in forum discussions, sometimes they’re actually talking about who directed a specific episode that just aired, not a new in-universe agency director.

Small Table: NCIS Director Character vs Actor

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Role Name Details
Current NCIS Director (character) Leon Vance On-screen head of the NCIS agency, based in Washington, D.C.
Actor playing the Director Rocky Carroll Portrays Leon Vance and has also directed episodes of NCIS.

Trending & Fan Discussion Angle

  • Recent seasons have teased that Vance might eventually step down or leave, sparking lots of “who should be the next director?” threads on fan forums.
  • Common fan theories include promotions for existing team leaders or the return of a legacy character, but none of these have been confirmed in the show’s canon as of the latest episodes.

You can think of it this way: right now, the “new director” talk is mostly fan speculation and future-gazing, while Leon Vance is still the official, current Director of NCIS on the series.

TL;DR: Leon Vance, played by Rocky Carroll, is still the current director of NCIS in the TV show; talk of a “new director” is mostly fan speculation about what might come next.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.