There’s finally a trailer and release date for CBS’s CIA, the highly anticipated offshoot of the long-running FBI franchise. By the looks of it, this should be entertaining, and Tom Ellis is always worth spending a bit of time with, which you can on CBS and Paramount+ beginning February 23, 2026.
CIA follows an unlikely duo: a rule-bending, fast-talking CIA case officer (Tom Ellis) and a by-the-book FBI agent (Nick Gehlfuss) who must team up in New York City to stop domestic terrorist threats, blending procedural action with their clashing personalities to keep America safe from shadowy plots. Created by Dick Wolf and Matt Olmstead—the masterminds behind the FBI universe—the series promises the franchise’s signature high-stakes investigations with a fresh international twist, as the CIA operative brings covert ops flair to FBI’s domestic focus.
Ellis, beloved as Lucifer‘s charming devil, steps into the role of Agent Alex Shaw, a charismatic but reckless CIA officer whose “ends justify the means” approach constantly butts heads with Gehlfuss’s straight-arrow FBI Special Agent Daniel Pierce. The trailer teases explosive action—car chases through Manhattan, undercover stings, and tense interrogations—intercut with witty banter that highlights their oil-and-water dynamic. “You know the drill,” Shaw quips in one scene. “Only this time, Lucifer is on the case,” fans joke online, referencing Ellis’s breakout role.
Supporting cast includes Vanessa Ferlito as a no-nonsense NYPD liaison, Alana de la Garza reprising her FBI role for crossovers, and Felicia Rashad as the stern CIA station chief. Olmstead promises “bigger threats, bolder stakes,” with episodes tackling cyber-terror, espionage rings, and homegrown radicals.
The trailer, dropped December 19, 2025, has amassed 5 million views, with #CIASeries trending. Fans rave: “Ellis in spy mode? Take my money!” (@TVAddict, 50k likes).
CIA expands Wolf’s empire—FBI, FBI: International, FBI: Most Wanted—adding transatlantic intrigue. Stream February 23, 2026 on CBS/Paramount+; Ellis’s devilish charm awaits.
