S.W.A.T Exiles expected to bring back one or more familiar faces, Sony reveals

Sony Pictures Television has officially greenlit S.W.A.T. Exiles, a new spin-off series in the S.W.A.T. franchise, with Jason Ning heading it as showrunner. This follows the cancellation of the initial series after its eighth season on CBS. Production for the new series will start in late August 2025.

The established recurring character so far is Shemar Moore, returning as his character, Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson. Moore's comeback is the storytelling basis for the new series, which will have a new premise and a step away from the continuation of the original.

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S.W.A.T. Exiles is set in the same universe

No other characters have been officially announced, but the series will exist in the same universe as S.W.A.T., opening the door to possible continuity. According to Variety, Sony executives stated,

"We’re still putting it all together, but for sure, I think you can expect some of your favorites to be a part of it in some way".

This suggests possible cameos or references to the greater franchise. The employment of the terminology "expecting" captures the existing development stage, where conclusive final casting decisions have not yet been publicly determined. The potential for looking at characters from the original series, however, is kept open-ended with Exiles broadening the franchise.

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What is S.W.A.T. Exiles about

S.W.A.T. Exiles will take the franchise on a new trajectory. The series is about Hondo as he is offered,

“a last-chance experimental SWAT unit made up of untested, unpredictable young recruits. Hondo must bridge a generational divide, navigate clashing personalities, and turn a squad of outsiders into a team capable of protecting the city and saving the program that made him who he is”.

The team does its work under different conditions and with a new intra-team dynamic, independent of the LAPD-focused structure of the initial show.

While it takes place in the same universe, Exiles is designed to have 10 Episodes. The show would not pick up the character development of the original series directly, but it can include references or thematic continuity with previous events and places.

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Production and release timeline of S.W.A.T. Exiles

Sony has announced that production will begin later in the summer of 2025. There is no release date or platform as the series is currently shopped out to networks and streamers. Details on the full cast, episode count, or premiere window have not been made public as of now.

With Jason Ning at the helm and Shemar Moore back in his position, S.W.A.T. Exiles enters production with a combination of old and new creative vision.

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S.W.A.T. Exiles is positioned as a fresh expansion of the franchise, with Shemar Moore set to reprise the title role of Hondo. While no other castings have been announced, Sony's statement of anticipation of familiar faces suggests the probability, though not necessity, of additional connections to the original series.

As production continues, more details are likely to be revealed.

Also read: “Has always shot at the same stages in Santa Clarita”: S.W.A.T. Exiles team confirms spin-off’s production timeline