The Criminal Minds reboot won’t feature Spencer Reid, and fans are disappointed about it. Played by Matthew Gray Gubler, the character is one of two BAU profilers who were in the show since it started in 2005 until it wrapped up its run in 2020 – the other being A.J. Cook’s Jennifer Jarreau. Throughout Criminal Minds‘ original run, Reid was an integral part of the show’s storytelling, becoming a fan-favorite for viewers.
Just a year after it ended its CBS run, Paramount announced the Criminal Minds reboot as part of a bigger slate for its original content strategy. Getting the project off the ground was quite difficult, however; at one point, it was even reported that it was no longer going forward. That’s why when Paget Brewster shared a promising Criminal Minds update, fans rejoiced, especially when she revealed that everyone from the core cast had already agreed to return for the revival.
Once Criminal Minds season 16 was officially revealed, however, Gubler was noticeably absent from the cast sheet. This understandably disappointed many fans who were looking forward to seeing Reid back with the BAU. Many of them took to Twitter to express their dismay that Gubler isn’t involved in the Criminal Minds revival. Read some of the tweets below:
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Aside from Gubler, original Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders star Daniel Henney, who played SSA Matt Simmons, is also noticeably absent from the cast sheet. Unlike him, whose non-involvement stems from a scheduling conflict with The Wheel of Time, it’s unknown why Gubler didn’t sign up for the Criminal Minds reboot. For what it’s worth, he previously expressed wanting to take a break from playing Dr. Spencer Reid, which is understandable, considering he portrayed the character for a decade-and-a-half. Aside from Reid, however, some of the tweets above also mention Aaron Hotchner’s and Derek Morgan’s Criminal Minds absence in the new Paramount+ project. Both Shemar Moore and Thomas Gibson had long left the series, but considering how beloved they are in the show, there are still those holding out hope that they will appear in the revival.
Given how important Reid was to the BAU, it’ll be interesting to see how they are going to explain his absence in the Criminal Minds reboot. In any case, there are a couple of ways to approach the situation. It’s possible that Reid simply focused on teaching after he realized that it’s a less stressful way to still be involved with the BAU. Otherwise, the project could go on a darker route by making Reid an actual unsub, which has been one of the most popular theories about the character. That being said, with the show still waiting to start production, it’s possible that Gubler changes his mind and joins the Paramount+ show.
