Law & Order loses one of its major stars.

After three seasons as Senior Detective Vincent Riley, Reid Scott is departing Law & Order, marking another massive change for the long-running NBC police procedural drama. And, according to an exclusive from Deadline, James Badge Dale will be joining Law & Order season 26 as its new lead.

Scott’s exit is reportedly voluntary, despite still having a year remaining on his contract. The decision is allegedly due to the demands of regularly traveling across the country and spending too much time away from his family in New York. According to the publication, the actor left on good terms, and there is no ill will between him and the network.

Although Scott is leaving, fans of Law & Order don’t need to worry about Detective Riley just disappearing without an explanation. The character will get a proper send-off that will conclude his arc in the series. Scott has returned to the set to film several episodes that will wrap up the character’s storyline before he leaves the series.

Dale is expected to join the cast after Riley’s exit. However, it has not yet been revealed exactly when the transition between the two will take place, and Dale’s character’s identity is still shrouded in mystery. Aside from knowing he’ll be playing a senior detective who will take over for Riley, not much else is known to the public at the time of this article’s publication.

Cast changes are nothing new for shows that have been around as long as Law & Order. The series frequently adds new characters as older ones leave. During his time on the show, Scott’s Detective Riley teamed up with Junior Detective Theo Walker, played by David Ajala. Before Walker joined the precinct, Riley worked alongside Detective Jalen Shaw (Mehcad Brooks) until his departure in 2025. Scott himself joined Law & Order after Jeffrey Donovan, who played Detective Frank Cosgrove, left the show.

More to come…