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The BAU's Next Case: Where Is The 'Criminal Minds' Cast Now And The Shocking Status Of Dr. Reid For Evolution Season 3 (2025)

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The Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) is back in action, and the stakes have never been higher. As of late 2025, the core team of profilers is gearing up for the highly anticipated return of the revival series, Criminal Minds: Evolution. This deep dive uncovers the current status of every major cast member, from the veterans leading the charge in the new season to the fan-favorites who have moved on to other major projects like S.W.A.T., ensuring you have the freshest information on the entire Criminal Minds universe.

The biggest question looming over the fandom—will Dr. Spencer Reid return?—has new, thrilling answers tied directly to the upcoming season. With the next season of Criminal Minds: Evolution (often referred to as Season 18 of the overall series) set to premiere on Paramount+ on May 7, 2025, the focus is on the team tackling a new, chilling Unsub. We detail the current lineup, the history of the original stars, and the surprising details about the cast member whose absence has been felt the most.

The BAU Agents: Current Cast and Complete Biography Profiles

The current iteration of the BAU, featured in Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3, brings back a formidable team of Supervisory Special Agents. Below is a detailed look at the actors who form the heart of the series, along with the profiles of key original cast members whose legacies define the show's 15-year run.

  • Joe Mantegna (SSA David Rossi)
    • Born: Joseph Anthony Mantegna, November 13, 1947, in Chicago, Illinois.
    • Role: FBI Supervisory Special Agent David Rossi, a founding member of the BAU.
    • Career Highlights: Known for his roles in Three Amigos, The Godfather Part III, and a long-running voice role as Fat Tony on The Simpsons. He joined Criminal Minds in 2007.
  • Paget Brewster (SSA Emily Prentiss)
    • Born: Paget Valerie Brewster, March 10, 1969, in Concord, Massachusetts.
    • Role: BAU Unit Chief Emily Prentiss.
    • Career Highlights: Gained fame on Friends as Kathy, and is an accomplished voice actress, notably as Lana Kane on the animated series Archer.
  • A.J. Cook (SSA Jennifer "JJ" Jareau)
    • Born: Andrea Joy Cook, July 22, 1978, in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
    • Role: Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau, the team's media liaison turned profiler.
    • Career Highlights: Canadian-born actress best known for her nearly continuous run on Criminal Minds since its debut.
  • Kirsten Vangsness (Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia)
    • Born: Kirsten Simone Vangsness, July 7, 1972.
    • Role: FBI Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia, the BAU's indispensable "Tech-Kitten."
    • Career Highlights: Vangsness is the only cast member to appear in all three series: Criminal Minds, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders.
  • Adam Rodriguez (SSA Luke Alvez)
    • Born: Adam Michael Rodriguez, April 2, 1975.
    • Role: Supervisory Special Agent Luke Alvez, an FBI Fugitive Task Force agent who joined the BAU.
    • Career Highlights: Known for his roles as Eric Delko in CSI: Miami and in the film Magic Mike.
  • Aisha Tyler (Dr. Tara Lewis)
    • Born: Aisha N. Tyler, September 18, 1970, in San Francisco, California.
    • Role: Dr. Tara Lewis, a forensic psychologist who interviews serial killers.
    • Career Highlights: A stand-up comedian, director, and actress, she is also known for hosting The Talk and voicing Lana Kane in Archer.
  • Matthew Gray Gubler (Dr. Spencer Reid)
    • Born: Matthew Gray Gubler, March 9, 1980, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
    • Role: Dr. Spencer Reid, the team's eccentric genius and statistical analyst.
    • Career Highlights: Also an author, director, and painter, Gubler is a multi-talented artist who began his career as a fashion model.
  • Shemar Moore (Derek Morgan)
    • Born: Shemar Franklin Moore, April 20, 1970.
    • Role: Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan, a specialist in obsessive crimes.
    • Career Highlights: A former fashion model and host of Soul Train, he currently stars as Sergeant II Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson on the CBS action drama S.W.A.T.
  • Thomas Gibson (Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner)
    • Born: Thomas Ellis Gibson, July 3, 1962, in Charleston, South Carolina.
    • Role: Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner.
    • Career Highlights: Known for his roles in Dharma & Greg and Chicago Hope before his controversial exit from Criminal Minds in 2016.
  • Mandy Patinkin (Jason Gideon)
    • Born: Mandel Bruce Patinkin, November 30, 1952, in Chicago, Illinois.
    • Role: Senior Supervisory Special Agent Jason Gideon, the BAU's most brilliant profiler.
    • Career Highlights: An acclaimed stage and screen actor/singer, best known for The Princess Bride and the Showtime series Homeland. He left Criminal Minds early due to the show's dark subject matter.

The Latest BAU Update: Evolution Season 3 and the Status of Dr. Reid (2025)

The most compelling and current news for fans centers on the return of the revival series, Criminal Minds: Evolution, which has been officially renewed for another season. The next chapter, which is considered Season 3 of Evolution (or the overall Season 18 of Criminal Minds), is set to premiere on Paramount+ on May 7, 2025.

The core cast from the previous Evolution season—Joe Mantegna, Paget Brewster, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Adam Rodriguez, and Aisha Tyler—are all confirmed to return. The new season is expected to pick up the chilling storyline of the mysterious "Sicarius" serial killer, a plot thread that has energized the show's focus on long-form storytelling.

The biggest shockwave, however, involves the status of fan-favorite Dr. Spencer Reid, played by Matthew Gray Gubler. While Gubler did not join the main cast for the first two seasons of Evolution, the latest reports and fan speculation suggest a possible return. Rumors of a surprise cameo appearance by Gubler in the May 2025 season have been widely circulated, fueling the hope that the BAU's resident genius will finally be back in the bullpen, at least temporarily. Gubler himself has been busy with other projects, including his career as an author and director, making any return a significant event for the series.

Beyond Quantico: What Key Former Cast Members Are Doing Now

While the current BAU team is tackling new Unsubs, several iconic cast members who defined the original Criminal Minds run have found massive success in other television and film projects. Their departures, sometimes controversial or emotional, marked major turning points in the series' history.

Shemar Moore: From Derek Morgan to S.W.A.T. Leader

Shemar Moore's character, Derek Morgan, was one of the original and most beloved agents, known for his strong bond with Penelope Garcia and his expertise in obsessive crimes. Moore left the original series in Season 11 to pursue other opportunities, which led him straight to another CBS hit: S.W.A.T.. On S.W.A.T., Moore stars as the lead, Sergeant II Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson, a role that has kept him a fixture on primetime television. His career transition is one of the most successful post-Criminal Minds stories.

The Controversial Exits: Gibson and Patinkin

The departures of two of the show's most central figures, Mandy Patinkin (Jason Gideon) and Thomas Gibson (Aaron Hotchner), remain critical points in the series' lore. Patinkin, who played the brilliant but tortured SSA Jason Gideon, left abruptly after Season 2. His reason was deeply personal; he later stated that the show's dark subject matter involving serial killers and victimology was "destroying his soul" and impacting his mental health.

Thomas Gibson's exit as Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner in Season 12 was far more controversial. Gibson was officially fired from the series following an alleged on-set altercation. This sudden departure forced the writers to create a storyline where Hotchner entered the Witness Protection Program to protect his family from a serial killer, leaving a major void in the BAU hierarchy.

Topical Authority: The Core Entities of the Criminal Minds Universe

To truly understand the world of Criminal Minds, one must grasp the specific terminology and entities that define the BAU's work. The show is built on the foundation of criminal profiling, a psychological technique used to identify the characteristics of an Unsub (Unknown Subject) based on their crimes. The BAU operates out of Quantico, Virginia, as a specialized division of the FBI's National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC).

The team's success relies on understanding key concepts like Modus Operandi (M.O.), which is the method a killer uses to commit their crimes, and the more personal Signature, the emotional or psychological need the killer satisfies through the crime. By studying victimology and the hot zone (the area where the killer feels most comfortable operating), the agents build a psychological profile to predict the Unsub's next move. These elements, combined with geographic profiling and Dr. Reid's statistical analysis, allow the BAU to hunt down the most elusive serial killers and organized crime entities across the United States.

cast of criminal minds
cast of criminal minds

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