Spoilers for Criminal Minds: Evolution Seasons 17 and 18. Josh Stewart announced in January 2024 that he was finished playing Will LaMontagne Jr. The show first explained Will’s absence as an assignment in Season 17, then revealed in Season 18 that he had died from a rare kind of aneurysm. The series used previously deleted footage for the collapse that starts the death storyline.
Why did Josh Stewart leave Criminal Minds?
Stewart announced his departure from the role on January 17, 2024. TVLine reported that he posted, “sadly, my days of playing Will LaMontagne Jr. are over,” and thanked fans, calling them “the absolute best.” Stewart had played Will, a New Orleans police detective who meets JJ while working a case, since the original series’ second season.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Criminal Minds: The Complete Series | $88.78 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Criminal Minds: Seasons 5-10 | $35.03 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Criminal Minds: Seasons 1-4 | $15.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Criminal Minds: Evolution - The Seventeenth Season | $28.45 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
![Criminal Minds: Evolution - The Sixteenth Season [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41QhCXOdV7L._SL160_.jpg)
|
Criminal Minds: Evolution - The Sixteenth Season [DVD] | $25.19 | Buy on Amazon |
The announcement confirms that Stewart was done with the role, but the cited reporting does not establish a personal, contractual, or creative reason for his exit. It is therefore more accurate to say the reason was not made public in this reporting than to attribute his departure to a specific cause. TVLine reported Stewart’s announcement.
How did Season 17 explain Will’s absence?
Season 17 of Criminal Minds: Evolution begins just two weeks after the preceding season. Showrunner Erica Messer told TV Insider that the story would place Will “on an assignment,” framing his absence as work-related rather than a death. Messer also said JJ would not suffer a tragic loss at home that season. At the time, the writers planned to decide what Will’s absence meant for later seasons.
#1 Best Overall
- Genre: TV Crime
- Number of Discs: 85
- Number of Tracks: 0
- Rating: NR
- Number of Movies: 0
Messer’s explanation was explicit: “we know that he’s on an assignment, just like there’s always another case, just like we always have another case.” She added, “So we’re not going to see him this year, as he posted, but we’ll figure out what that means for future seasons, if we get future seasons.” TV Insider’s May 31, 2024 interview with Messer describes the Season 17 plan.
Is Will dead in Criminal Minds?
Yes. The series later resolved Will’s prolonged absence by revealing that he had died. A.J. Cook, who plays JJ, told TVLine that the writers chose this direction after learning Stewart would not return. Cook said they took time to work out what should happen next, and explained that the revival’s attention to the characters’ personal lives made JJ’s family story central to the decision.
Rank #2
Will’s cause of death is described as a rare kind of aneurysm. The story is addressed in Season 18, episode 3, “Time to Say Goodbye.” Paramount+ lists the episode under that title in its official Season 18 episode guide; TVLine’s interview identifies it as the farewell and funeral episode.
Why does Will appear in the collapse scene if Stewart had left?
The collapse footage was not newly filmed for Will’s death storyline. Cook told TVLine that the production reused a deleted collapse scene from the revival’s first season. That footage had originally been cut because the writers did not want the earlier cancer storyline to imply that Will was dying. Its reuse let the later story begin with Will collapsing even though Stewart did not return to film new scenes.
Rank #3
TVLine’s May 22, 2025 interview with Cook discusses the decision to write Will’s death after Stewart could not return, and TVLine’s May 26, 2025 report explains the reused deleted footage.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Stewart’s exit and Will’s story are separate timelines
Stewart’s real-world departure was announced in January 2024. The show’s first on-screen explanation for Will’s absence was a temporary assignment in Season 17; the later death was a story decision made after the production learned Stewart would not be back. The available reporting supports that sequence, but not a more specific explanation for why Stewart left the role.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
