Is LL Cool J joining NCIS: Hawaii Season 3 as a series regular?

"Lost Soldier Down" -- Pictured: LL COOL J (Special Agent Sam Hanna) and Chris O'Donnell (Special Agent G. Callen). NCIS investigates the apparent suicide of a Navy Intelligence Officer who leaped to his death after taking LSD. Also, while Kensi is away, Deeks makes plans, much to his colleague's chagrin, to redo the backyard without her input, on the CBS Original series NCIS: LOS ANGELES, Sunday, Jan. 2 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+. Episode is directed by series star Daniela Ruah. Photo: Screen Grab/CBS ©2021 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
"Lost Soldier Down" -- Pictured: LL COOL J (Special Agent Sam Hanna) and Chris O'Donnell (Special Agent G. Callen). NCIS investigates the apparent suicide of a Navy Intelligence Officer who leaped to his death after taking LSD. Also, while Kensi is away, Deeks makes plans, much to his colleague's chagrin, to redo the backyard without her input, on the CBS Original series NCIS: LOS ANGELES, Sunday, Jan. 2 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+. Episode is directed by series star Daniela Ruah. Photo: Screen Grab/CBS ©2021 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

LL Cool J will reprise his role as Sam Hana in NCIS: Hawaii Season 3. The one question fans want answered is whether he’ll be a permanent addition to the Hawaii team or not.

After the three-series crossover event in January, we wanted to see more. Then the bad news arrived. NCIS: Los Angeles Season 14 would be the last. That led to questions about whether it would be the end for various characters.

LL Cool J was shocked to learn his series was ending, and he made it clear that he would be interested in coming into NCIS: Hawaii if the time was right. Well, it turns out that the time is right.

How many episodes of NCIS: Hawaii Season 3 will LL Cool J be in?

After a cameo appearance in the NCIS: Hawaii Season 2 finale, news broke that LL Cool J would be in future episodes. He would come back into the story as Sam Hana during NCIS: Hawaii Season 3.

However, he is not going to be a series regular. He’s not a permanent member of the team. It’s not like the LA team shut down operations completely. They are still out there working, but that won’t stop Sam from lending a hand as and when needed.

LL Cool J will be a special recurring guest star. That likely means more than one episode, but it’s not clear exactly how many episodes he will be in. We could just see him in a cameo for some of the bigger episodes like premieres and finales. Of course, it’s all going to depend on how the storylines are worked out once the writers get back to work.

As of right now, the writers are on strike. There are no signs of this strike ending any time soon, which could affect just how much of Season 3 LL Cool J ends up being in.

NCIS: Hawaii is available to stream on Paramount+.