John Boyd and Shantel VanSanten are rooted in the FBI universe — but what do they think about crossing over onto Dick Wolf’s latest spinoff, CIA?
“They are your next-door neighbors. Go knock on their door,” VanSanten, 40, who played Nina Chase on FBI: Most Wanted and continues to make cameos on FBI, exclusively told Luxury Handbag Shopping, hinting that her TV husband should push his way onto the new series.
Boyd, who has played Stuart Scola on FBI since 2019, revealed that the thought has already crossed his mind.
“I’m throwing my hat in the ring. I think [Scola’s coworkers] Maggie, Jubal [come first],” the actor, 44, exclusively told Us, referring to Missy Peregrym’s Maggie Bell and Jeremy Sisto’s Jubal Valentine previously being announced as crossover guests on CIA.
Boyd teased, “I gotta wait my turn, but I’m certainly available and letting the world know that I’m so excited to see the show and anything that you know they ever need, I would love to come over and play. Anytime.”
VanSanten noted, “Most Wanted is over so I’m available to be the neighbor, and then I’ll come over and say, ‘Hi.’”
Boyd added that he and VanSanten have been pitching themselves, saying, “If you need an undercover couple, call us up!”
CIA premiered on Monday, February 23, following a new episode of FBI. The spinoff stars Tom Ellis and Nick Gehlfuss and focuses on the partnership between an FBI agent and a CIA case officer working together to prevent domestic terrorism in New York.
FBI, meanwhile, premiered in 2018, following the lives of special agents located in New York City’s Federal Bureau of Investigation office. Boyd joined the cast during season 2, while VanSanten’s character was brought on during season 4.
VanSanten made the jump to spinoff FBI: Most Wanted during the show’s fifth season in 2024 and continued to crossover to the mothership show from time to time. (Boyd also made guest appearances on the spinoff over the years.)
After FBI: Most Wanted was canceled in March 2025, with its series finale airing in May 2025, fans thought they might’ve seen the last of VanSanten — even though Nina and Scola share a son, Dougie, and live together.
That was not the case, as VanSanten returned to FBI during the February 23 episode of the show for an epic guest-starring arc.
In the episode, Nina went undercover with Maggie (Peregrym) to a cartel wedding and nearly died, prompting her to tell Scola that perhaps they should commit to each other fully.
Before Nina could propose, Scola pulled out an engagement ring and asked her himself, teasing they had to finally do something “traditional.”
During the final moments of the episode, Scola and Nina said, “I do” in front of their FBI friends and their son at city hall.
“When Most Wanted ended, that was the biggest bummer for me, is that I don’t know if I felt like the completion or like this final moment between them, that like that really was such an anchor,” VanSanten told Us ahead of the episode. “Obviously, Nina is like her own person, and she loves what she does, and I am so grateful we got to explore that so much on Most Wanted. But there is this other part that felt like I hadn’t closed that chapter.”
The actress noted that Nina and Scola getting to tie the knot on FBI proved that it’s “OK to go through things and allow it to change you and to transform your ideas about life or love or relationships,” which is what happened after their most recent joint case.
“I think that it was really special,” VanSanten said, while Boyd chimed in and confessed he “didn’t ever” think the pair would walk down the aisle.
When it comes to what’s next for Nina and Scola, VanSanten told Us, she doesn’t know of any additional cameos this season or next.
She reassured fans, “Once you’re in this world, I feel like, you know, I’m phone call away. And we’re married. So for now, we’re stuck until the next iteration.”
Boyd added, “Husband and wife.”
FBI airs on CBS Mondays at 9 p.m. ET. CIA airs the same night at 10 p.m. ET.
