Criminal Minds was a hit on CBS for 15 seasons. And now it’s become a hit again, on Paramount+.

Criminal Minds: Evolution returned for its 18th season on Thursday, May 8, and the good news is not only do we already know that it will be back for more, but the cast is already working on new episodes! Paramount+ provided an update on the filming schedule on Friday, May 30.

Read on for everything we know about the drama’s future, from its cast to a Season 19 premiere date and more.

When was Criminal Minds: Evolution renewed for Season 19?

Criminal Minds: Evolution was renewed on March 5, two months ahead of the Season 18 premiere date. The series was renewed for Season 18 one day before Season 17’s premiere. And the first renewal for Evolution came the day it returned from its midseason break for Season 16.

Is it Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 4 or 19?

In case you’re confused since it is also called Season 4, Criminal Minds‘ original run lasted 15 seasons on CBS. Then, this next chapter, Evolution, was picked up on the streaming service Paramount+. Technically it’s going to be coming back for the fourth season of Evolution but 19th season overall for Criminal Minds.

Will the Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 18 finale set up Season 19?

Even without knowing how Season 18 will end yet, that’s safe to say. The first two Evolution seasons have ended in such a way that teased the following one’s central mystery. At the end of Season 16, we got the tease about Gold Star, which ended up being the main story of Season 17. That season then ended with serial killer Elias Voit (Zach Gilford) being attacked in prison. Now, in Season 18, the action picks up six months later: That attack has led Voit’s “restless followers on the dark web to begin wreaking havoc all over the country. In order to stop this nefarious group from killing more innocents, the BAU is forced to work alongside an increasingly unpredictable Voit who has his own agenda,” as Paramount+’s logline teases.

Who will star in Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 19?

Thanks to a photo from set (below), we know that returning for Season 19 are Joe Mantegna (David Rossi), Paget Brewster (Emily Prentiss), A.J. Cook (JJ Jareau), Adam Rodriguez (Luke Alvez), Kirsten Vangsness (Penelope Garcia), Aisha Tyler (Dr. Tara Lewis), and RJ Hatanaka (Tyler Green). Matthew Gray Gubler returned as Dr. Spencer Reid for one episode of Season 18, and he’ll have Einstein on CBS in the 2026-2027 season, so we’ll have to wait to see if pops up again. We’ll also have to wait and see if Zach Gilford continues to play serial killer Voit.

We know we won’t see Josh Stewart again as JJ’s husband, Will, after his shocking death at the end of Season 18 Episode 2. As AJ Cook told TV Insider, her character’s grief will continue to play out.

“We definitely touch on a lot of the grief phases. And it is not like we shoot one episode and she’s gone through all of it and it’s tied up neatly with a nice bow. That’s not how grief works. So this is going to be something that we’re going to see throughout the whole season. And then beyond that,” she shared. “This never goes away. This now has shaped her into this new single mother, and it will continue shaping her as she now learns to work through life this way. So I’m excited to see what that looks like for her. It’s been a journey already, and it’ll continue to be a journey in Criminal Minds form.”

Is Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 19 filming?

Yes! The cast is back on set, and Paramount+ shared a photo of them with filming officially underway on Friday, May 30. See the photo below.

When will Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 19 premiere?

It’s a bit too soon to speculate. The premiere dates for Seasons 16, 17, and 18 are November 2022, June 2024, and May 2025 respectively, so Paramount+ isn’t sticking to a specific part of the year.

What will Season 19 be about?

Beyond continuing to follow the BAU (Behavioral Analysis Unit) as they hunt down serial killers, it’s impossible to say. Voit and his network of killers could continue to be part of it, but that will be determined by how Season 18 ends.

Is there a Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 19 trailer?

Not yet.

Will there be a Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 20?

It’s too soon to say, but given the success of the show so far, it’s definitely a possibility.