Scottie Thompson's Jeanne Benoit character has been confirmed as one of the former stars that will be returning to the cast of "NCIS" prior to longtime star Michael Weatherly's departure.

After 13 seasons, Weatherly recently announced this season will be his last as Agent Anthony DiNozzo, sparking nonstop chatter across the web about how writers may elect to have him leave the show.

While that subject still remains up for debate, Carter Matt has confirmed Thompson's return is no longer in question. In a recent post on her Twitter page, Emily Wickersham (Elaine Bishop) also posted a shot of both Benoit and DiNozzo on the set, along with a mugging Sean Murray, who stars as Agent Timothy McGee.

At this point, it's not clear what role Benoit will be assuming in her return or how she will figure into DiNozzo's exit, but the last time she appeared on the show the two appeared on the verge of reconnecting in some sort of meaningful way.

In making his announcement earlier this month, Weatherly stated his decision to leave was done with the chance for him to pursue other interests in mind. USA Today previously reported Weatherly is now expected to continue working with CBS and is rumored to have a development deal already in place that will allow him to produce a number of other projects for the network.

His exit leaves Mark Harmon (Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs), Pauley Perrette (Abby Sciuto) and David McCallum (Donald "Ducky" Mallard) as the only original characters remaining on the long-running show.

After a brief hiatus, "NCIS" is slated to return to the CBS airwaves on Feb.9, though no timetable has been given for when the episodes starring Thompson might air.

Meanwhile, several media outlets have reported former series star Cote de Pablo (Ziva David) is also rumored to be under consideration for a special guest appearance on the show prior to Weatherly's exit.