James Badge Dale Joins 'Law & Order' Cast as Reid Scott Exits for Season 26

Reid Scott is departing the long-running NBC drama “Law & Order” as James Badge Dale joins the cast for its 26th season. TheWrap first reported the casting shakeup.

Scott has played Senior Detective Vincent Riley for the past several seasons. His character will be phased out over a few episodes.

Who is James Badge Dale playing?

Dale is set to play a new Senior Detective, filling the void left by Scott. The character’s name has not yet been revealed. This marks a return to the Wolf universe for Dale, who previously had a one-episode stint on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” in 2002.

He joins an ensemble cast that includes Tony Goldwyn, Hugh Dancy, Maura Tierney, and Odelya Halevi. The show is known for its ripped-from-the-headlines cases that follow police investigations and subsequent prosecutions in New York’s criminal justice system.

When does the new season start?

“Law & Order” will return for Season 26 in October. According to TheWrap, the flagship series will premiere behind the Mariska Hargitay-led spinoff “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” The timing of the on-screen transition between Scott and Dale’s characters during the season is currently unclear.

Is this a common occurrence for the show?

The drama is no stranger to cast changes. Last year, Mehcad Brooks, who played Scott’s partner Junior Detective Jalen Shaw, departed the series. Scott himself had originally stepped into the role, replacing Jeffrey Donovan’s Detective Frank Cosgrove after he exited.

The series, which first aired in 1990, has won six Primetime Emmys from 50 wins and 207 nominations total, according to its awards summary. As of July 2026, past seasons are available to stream on platforms including Netflix, Hulu, fuboTV, Peacock Premium, Philo, YouTube TV, NBC, Netflix Standard, and Peacock Premium Plus.