We are getting dangerously close to fall programming returning to the 2026 TV schedule. Network TV is getting back off the ground and filming this month for September and October premieres, some of which are making us happier than others. Among those will be the return of NCIS prequel Origins. We got the first look at the upcoming episodes, and the show is absolutely taking a note from Captain Marvel.
No, that doesn’t mean Season 3 is going to be an upcoming Marvel project and there won't be any villains popping in from space. What I mean is that NCIS: Origins is definitely planning to hit on a location inspiring nostalgia in a similar way to how Captain Marvel did in 2019. Yes, that means bringing in Blockbuster Video. Take an Instagram official look from the set, below.
There’s nothing that will inspire fond thoughts of the ‘90s quite like a Blockbuster Video. Captain Marvel proved that a few years ago when Carol Danvers crash landed from space into a strip mall featuring – you guessed it – a Blockbuster. The location was used in tons of promotions for the movie prior to its release, and was a major talking point at the time. Years later, it’s still an identifying factor for the movie.
Given Origins kicked off in 1991, the decade is really a ripe time for the video rental store. Families would pop over on a Friday night and bring home everything from family movies to scary movies, plus snacks! Don’t forget the snacks. Granted, Origins is a lot grittier than what we usually get with NCIS, but one thing the prequel has always done well to differentiate from the other sequels and franchise spinoffs is with its period details, and Season 3 looks to be no exception.
I remember when the show was coming together CBS head honcho Amy Reisenbach spoke about all the period details, noting it’s hard to think of the ‘90s as “period,” but that’s exactly what it is.
Origins is really different than any of the other NCIS‘s; it makes me feel so old to say it’s period when it’s set in the ‘90s, kill me now, right?
If Blockbuster Video isn’t enough of an appeal element, we know Mark Harmon will be back in Season 3 (and not just in a narrating capacity this time). So there’s a lot to look forward to coming up, and not just with Origins but in the NCISverse as a whole. Info about the upcoming episodes is still scarce at this point. We’ll keep you posted as more news breaks, and in the meantime don’t forget to “be kind, and rewind.”
