Law & Order: SVU is going through some cast changes yet again — but what does that mean for season 27?
The series, which premiered in 1999, follows detectives from the NYPD’s Special Victims Unit as they investigate and prosecute sexually-based crimes. The legal drama stars Mariska Hargitay, Ice T, Peter Scanavino and Kevin Kane and has faced multiple character exits throughout the years.
Before NBC renewed Law & Order: SVU for season 27, multiple outlets confirmed in May 2025 that Octavio Pisano and Juliana Martinez, who portray Detective Joe Velasco and Detective Kate Silva, respectively, were leaving at the end of the current season after Michele Fazekas was announced as the series’ first female showrunner.
The shakeup came amid other procedurals navigating surprising exits and onscreen deaths. ABC’s 9-1-1 started the trend in April 2025 when Peter Krause‘s character Bobby Nash was killed off after eight seasons. Fire Country followed one week later with both Stephanie Arcila and Billy Burke leaving after three seasons on the hit CBS series.
NBC also surprised viewers with Daniel Kyri and Jake Lockett leaving Chicago Fire after season 13. Meanwhile, on CBS’ Elsbeth, Carra Patterson confirmed she would be stepping down as a series regular. She is expected to return in a guest star capacity after playing fan-favorite character Kaya since the show premiered last year.
Even streaming shows such as Criminal Minds: Evolution weren’t immune to change with Josh Stewart‘s Will being killed off in May 2025 after being on the show since 2007.
Keep scrolling to see which Law & Order: SVU characters are returning for season 27 — and which aren’t:
Olivia Benson
“I’m obviously not done with SVU and I have so much responsibility there still, which is keeping me artistically challenged. It’s challenging. In the meantime, I also have had these incredible moments,” Hargitay exclusively told Us Weekly in May 2024 about remaining on the show since its 1999 premiere. “I’m really happy and fulfilled with my life right now. So, we’ll see what comes. But as of right now, I’m very happy on the ride.”
Fin Tutuola
Before season 26 kicked off in October 2024, Ice-T promised that it would be one to remember. “We’re very excited about going into season 26,” he told Us in June 2024. “I think last season we caught a whole other wind of fans, and everybody got in it, and the ratings were great. I don’t see any reason why SVU can’t go 30 [seasons].”
Dominick ‘Sonny’ Carisi Jr.
Scanavino has been a series regular since joining the show in 2013. With Carisi’s wife coming back to the series, it feels safe to assume that the assistant director attorney isn’t going anywhere soon.
Joe Velasco
Pisano originally joined Law & Order: SVU in season 23 but isn’t returning now that the show has been picked up for more episodes.
Terry Bruno
Kane had a recurring role for two seasons before being promoted to main cast in season 26. There have been no announcements about Kane stepping away in the wake of Pisano and Martinez’s shocking joint departures.
Martinez came on board during season 26 and exited after only one year.
Kelli Giddish originally departed Law & Order: SVU in the middle of season 24 after more than a decade on the show. She was a guest star in various episodes throughout seasons 25 and 26 before being confirmed as a series regular for season 27.
Elliot Stabler
Christopher Meloni made the move from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit to Law & Order: Organized Crime in 2021. But that doesn’t mean Meloni hasn’t made guest appearances since then — especially as fans keep waiting for a romance between Stabler and Benson.
“I’m always open to opening that can of worms,” Meloni told Us in April 2025, hinting at a possible relationship between the former professional partners. “It’s powers that are above me.”
