Entertainment NCIS boss shares an update on Mark Harmon's status for season 19

NCIS season 18 finale spoilers follow.

NCIS boss Steven D Binder has updated fans on the status of leading star Mark Harmon.

Season 18 ended with his character, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, suspended from NCIS and seemingly attacked while on a boat, having swam away from an explosion (as you do).

There have been plenty of reports about Harmon wanting to quit the show. However, it was suggested that him doing so would likely lead to the entire show getting the axe, with some reports claiming he agreed to appear in a handful of episodes to keep the boat afloat (as it were), which would line up with everything that happened to the character.

Is Agent Gibbs going to die in NCIS season 19?

NCIS will be premiering its 19th season next month and fans are questioning the fate of Agent Gibbs. Will the original lead die in the new season?Speculation is running wild over the next season of NCIS, with various details potentially pointing to the death of the beloved Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

© CBS Photo Archive - Getty Images NCIS Mark Harmon

Binder, however, states that that's actually not the case. "A lot of things are reported on this show that aren’t necessarily true," he told TVLine.

"What we’re trying to focus on right now is telling the best stories we can with the characters we have — and Gibbs is a part of that world. And I think we’re doing a pretty good job with that."

© CBS Photo Archive - Getty Images NCIS boss offers an update on Mark Harmon's status playing Leroy Jethro Gibbs for season 19.

Speaking about Gibbs' season 19 storyline, Binder added: "Gibbs has been hunting down this serial killer, and he’s doing it alone He’s cut off from his team… but in the beginning episodes, that’s going to change."

The showrunner stated that filming has been made slightly more complicated due to the COVID safety protocols, echoing comments made across the entertainment industry board.

How many victims died in the 9/11 attacks? Number of people killed in the 2001 Twin Towers attack

A total of 2,977 were killed in the attacks, along with the 19 hijackers . Of those, 246 were on the four planes, 2,606 were in the World Trade Centre and the surrounding area, and 125 were at the Pentagon. Most deaths were civilians, but 344 firefighters, 71 law enforcement officers and 55 military personnel were also killed. What happened during the attacks American Airlines flight 11 was the first to hit, striking the North Tower of the World Trade Centre in New York City at 8.46am local time. United Airlines flight 175 struck the South Tower 17 minutes later.

© Fox NCIS Season 18 Mark Harmon

Related: NCIS season 18 episode sees major character exit the show

Beyond Gibbs, NCIS season 19 has hired a The Good Wife and Veep actor for a big role, as the Naval Criminal Investigative Service's newest recruit.

The show is also undergoing a big change in the US, getting a new timeslot for new episodes for the first time in its lengthy history. Let's hope that fans respond well to it all.

NCIS airs on CBS in the US and on FOX UK in the UK.