“A couple #BST shots from the set of #NCIS.”

NCIS fan favourite Joe Spano is set to return as special agent Tobias Fornell in the latest season.

The actor was spotted by fans in two set photos with the cast, shared by co-star Sean Murray on his Instagram account.

Spano is seen standing alongside Murray and Alden Parker actor Gary Cole in the NCIS interrogation room set, behind the one-way glass panel.

“A couple #BST shots from the set of #NCIS 🙂 cya Mondays 9pm on @cbstv & @paramountplus,” reads Murray’s post caption.

Eagled-eye fans spotted Spano’s appearance in the images and shared their excitement at his return in the post’s comment section.

“Fornell’s popping by again soon? Awesome,” wrote one, with another tagging the actor in their comment: “Is that @official.joe.spano I see lurking? Yes!!”

It’s thought that Spano will return during the franchise’s upcoming 1,000th episode. While showrunners David North and Steven D. Binder didn’t share any casting details for the special episode, they hinted that it will honour the past.

“We’re going to play plenty of homage to the past,” North told TVLine, with Binder adding: “We’re hoping to put some Easter eggs for longtime fans of the show… If you’re watching it in 4K, you might have to blow some things things up, but they’re going to be there.”

Spano’s character last appeared during the NCIS season 20 crossover with NCIS: Hawai’i.

While Fornell has never been a main cast member, he holds the record as the longest-running recurring character from the main NCIS series, having appeared in numerous episodes during seasons one to 16 and 18-20.