S.W.A.T. Exiles Spinoff: Hondo’s Powerful New Team Revealed

The most comprehensive update on the S.W.A.T. Exiles spinoff reveals Hondo’s new team. The surprise spinoff will see Shemar Moore reprising his lead role as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson Jr. It was announced mere days after the series finale of S.W.A.T., back in May, and the project is now taking shape.

It was revealed earlier that Jay Harrington and Patrick St. Esprit will return in their respective roles as Sergeant David “Deacon” Kay and Commander Robert Hicks for the pilot episode of S.W.A.T. Exiles. But on the whole, Hondo will be joined by a new group of characters.

Variety reports that Hondo’s team is now officially cast, featuring Lucy Barrett (Deep Water), Adain Bradley (Warfare), Zyra Gorecki (La Brea), Freddy Miyares (When They See Us), and 9-1-1: Lone Star‘s Ronen Rubinstein. Additional character details were not revealed, though it was also announced that Kevin Tancharoen, who previously worked on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will direct the pilot episode.

What This Means For S.W.A.T. Exiles

The new cast will join Hondo after a high-profile mission goes wrong. This causes Hondo to come out of his forced retirement, as he goes on to lead an experimental unit made up of new and untested recruits. Along the way, Hondo will have to deal with generational divides and clashing personalities in the hopes of protecting the city.

The spinoff, which hails from former Lucifer showrunner Jason Ning, has been compared to Top Gun: Maverick for its focus on a generational divide. Although character details are currently being kept under wraps, the follow-up to S.W.A.T. season 9 is in good hands. Tancharoen previously directed The Brothers Sun on Netflix and Teacup on Peacock. His other credits include The Book of Boba Fett and Mortal Kombat: Legacy.

Executive produced by Ning alongside Neal H. Moritz and Pavun Shetty of Original Film, as well as Shemar Moore, James Scura, and Jon Cowan, S.W.A.T. Exiles is expected to begin filming later this month in Los Angeles. S.W.A.T: Exiles does not currently have a streamer or network attached, and may not air on CBS like the original.

Our Take On The S.W.A.T. Casting News

Ronen Rubinstein as TK Strand with Jonah in 9-1-1: Lone Star.

Between the addition of Rubinstein, who broke out on 9-1-1: Lone Star, and the likes of Bradley and Barrett, both familiar to horror fans, S.W.A.T. Exiles is an exciting chance for the young group of actors to shine. It’s especially true of Goreck, who was a standout on La Brea. With these choices, the upcoming series is trying to create a new identity for itself.