The start of this week proved to be a bittersweet one for the NCIS franchise, which celebrated its milestone 20th anniversary and also mourned the loss of one of their own.
On Monday, September 25, news broke that David McCallum, who played Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard from season one, passed away at the age of 90.
The entire NCIS family came together to mourn the late English actor, with tributes pouring in from those currently on the show as well as former stars like Pauley Perrette, Mark Harmon, and Michael Weatherly.
Since then, there has been a building fervor among fans to bring back the actors to reprise their popular roles on the show in some way to honor David and Ducky.
For a refresher, Mark played Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs on the show from seasons 1-19, Pauley played Forensic Specialist Abby Sciutio from seasons 1-15, and Michael played Senior Field Agent Anthony DiNozzo from seasons 1-13.
Other significant characters who have since left the show include Cote de Pablo, who played Special Agent Ziva David from seasons 3-11 (with appearances through season 17), and Emily Wickersham, who played Special Agent Eleanor Bishop from seasons 11-18.
On a post shared by the NCIS Instagram page honoring the character, a fan commented: "First new episode needs to be a funeral for Ducky with the return of Gibbs, Tony, and (probably a long shot) Abby."
The comment quickly drummed up some support, with others responding with comments like: "I demand for this to happen," and: "Yes they do."
READ: Everything late NCIS star David McCallum said about his wife Katherine Carpenter
Others threw the same idea around, with many saying that Gibbs would most likely be the first to return and asked specifically for the likes of "Gibbs, Ziva, Bishop, DiNozzo, Abby."
© Getty ImagesDespite finishing their runs on the show, several of the former leads shared tributes to David. Mark told TVLine: "David lived a great, full, long life. I was in awe when I first met him and all of us on the show were honored to have toed a mark opposite him. My condolences go out to Katherine and his family."
MORE: NCIS' newest stars tease big news amid tragedy for the show
Pauley wrote on Instagram: "Oh David. What a life. What a legend. What a journey. And your legacy will always be the love you have for your family. Love to Katherine and the kids and the grandkids, your absolutely very favorite things."
© Getty ImagesMichael penned on X, formerly known as Twitter: "David McCallum made every moment count, in life and on set. Let's raise a jug and celebrate a funny fantastic authentic man. I've only got 3 autographs. Connery, Tony Bennett, and McCallum.
"I felt the same way as Steve McQueen in this picture from The Great Escape: Wow! It's David McCallum! No one did it better. We were lucky to have him bring us Ducky. Let's send all the love in the world to his beautiful family. Rest In Peace David."
© Getty ImagesOthers like Brian Dietzen, Sean Murray, Wilmer Valderrama, and more also honored the veteran screen legend.
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