Evolution Season 3 New Cast & Returning Character Guide

Criminal Minds: Evolution is back and will once again feature a star-studded cast. Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3 is the third season of the Criminal Minds reboot led by Paramount+, but it is also widely referred to as Criminal Minds season 18 as the eighteenth season overall. The show will feature beloved returning cast members and will even feature one character that has not appeared in the reboot yet.

While Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2 had a more-or-less satisfying ending, it left a few open storylines for season 3 to deal with. Mainly, Elias Voit may be imprisoned at the start of season 3, but he does not pose any less of a threat than he usually does. Similarly, the Criminal Minds: Evolution characters will have to deal with the fallout of some of the situations from season 2, making season 3 more exciting than ever.

Joe Mantegna as David Rossi

Date Of Birth: November 13, 1947

Actor: Mantegna was born in Chicago, and he had his first big breakout role in The Godfather Part III as Joey Zasa. He has had a prolific acting career, even appearing in a long-term role as a voice actor on The Simpsons. Mantegna is best known for his appearances in the Criminal Minds franchise.

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Character: Rossi is a Supervisory Special Agent at Quantico but is now also the Chief of the Behavioral Analysis Unit. He is an excellent team leader and is best known for his compassion and care for his team. It takes time for him to warm up, but when he does, he becomes a very valuable character.

Andrea “A.J.” Joy Cook as Jennifer Jareau

Date Of Birth: July 22, 1978

Actor: Cook was born in Oshawa, and she had her first big breakout role in Final Destination 2. Cook has also appeared in many other popular movies and shows, such as The Virgin Suicides and 9-1-1. However, she remains best known for her role as Jennifer Jareau in Criminal Minds.

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Character: Jareau is a former police and media liaison at the BAU but is now a profiler with the team. She is a particularly important character because of how softly she delivers bad news to a victim’s family. She is excellent with people and works well with her team.

Kirsten Vangsness as Penelope Garcia

Date Of Birth: July 7, 1972

Actor: Vangsness grew up in California, and she had her first big breakout role in Criminal Minds, where she quickly became a popular character. Vangsness has also appeared in other movies and shows, but none come close to the fame she received from Criminal Minds. Besides her work as Criminal Minds‘ Penelope Garcia, a noteworthy mention is her work as Bigelow McFigglehorn in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place.

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Character: Garcia is the Technical Analyst at the BAU and the current Media Liaison Officer after Jareau switched roles. One of her most memorable work relationships was with Derek Morgan, and together, the two of them made a playful duo. Garcia also works well with her team and is often considered one of Criminal Minds‘ best characters.

Aisha Tyler as Dr. Tara Lewis

Date Of Birth: September 18, 1970

Actor: Tyler was born in San Francisco, and she had her first major role in Friends as Dr. Charlie Wheeler. Besides her career in acting, Tyler also gained prominence through her time as the host of Talk Soup in the early 2000s. Since then, she has appeared in a range of series, including Criminal Minds and CSI: Miami.

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Character: Lewis is both a Supervisory Special Agent and an FBI forensic psychologist, making her the perfect addition to the BAU team. She is an interesting character because she is incredibly intelligent. Lewis is also extremely dedicated to her job.

Ryan-James Hatanaka as Tyler Green

Date Of Birth: October 4

Actor: Hatanka grew up in Canada, and he had his first breakout role in Chicago P.D. Hatanka has appeared in a variety of shows in a physical role but also as a voice actor and stunt actor. He is best known for appearing in Criminal Minds and The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder.

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Character: Green is a fairly new character, having appeared for the first time in the Criminal Minds franchise in Criminal Minds: Evolution season 1. However, he quickly became an important character, working well with the team to solve cases. Green has been known to break the rules, which often acts as a form of conflict.

Zach Gilford as Elias Voit

Date Of Birth: January 14, 1982

Actor: Gilford was born in Evanston, and he had his first breakout role in Friday Night Lights as a recurring character, where he played Matt Saracen. He also notably appeared in Post Grad as well as The Last Stand. Because of his prolific acting career, his appearance in the Criminal Minds franchise is just one of his many recognizable roles.

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Character: Voit is a terrifying serial killer who first appeared in Criminal Minds: Evolution season 1. He has since continued to be a major antagonist to the BAU team and will likely continue to be one in season 3. He is particularly scary because of the way he stalks his victims.

Adam Rodriguez as Luke Alvez

Date Of Birth: April 2, 1975

Actor: Rodriguez was born in Yonkers, and he had his first big breakout role in CSI: Miami as Eric Delko. He has also appeared in a variety of TV shows before finding success in the CSI and Criminal Minds franchises. These appearances include minor roles on The X-Files and Law & Order.

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Character: Alvez is also a fairly new character. While he did appear in the original Criminal Minds, he only joined in season 12 after Derek Morgan left. However, he has since become a widely valued and important member of the BAU team.

Paget Brewster as Emily Prentiss

Date Of Birth: March 10, 1969

Actor: Brewster was born in Concord, and she had her first major role in Friends, where she played Kathy as a recurring character. Notably, Brewster also hosted a talk show called The Paget Show in the mid-1990s, which helped her gain prominence. However, she is best known for her long-running appearances on Criminal Minds.

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Character: While Prentiss is an iconic character of the BAU, she left for several years after she originally left Criminal Minds in season 7 before returning in season 12. While she appeared sporadically in between, her return as a main character was heavily welcomed, as was her return to Criminal Minds: Evolution. She is one of the most memorable characters of the franchise.

Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3 Supporting Cast & Characters

A Popular Character Is Returning

Matthew Gray Gubler as Dr. Spencer Reid: One of the most exciting additions to the Criminal Minds reboot is Spencer Reid’s return in Criminal Minds Evolution: season 3. It will be the first time that the Special Agent will appear alongside his coworkers since the original Criminal Minds. Reid is brilliant at solving cases, making his return even more exciting with the heightened threats of Voit’s character.

Related

What Day & Time Will Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3 Premiere On Paramount+

Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3 will return to Paramount+ on Thursday, May 8, 2025 with new episodes releasing weekly following the BAU.

Nicole Pacent as Rebecca Wilson: Wilson appears as a prosecutor and often works with the BAU team. She also appears personally as Tara Lewis’ girlfriend. This makes her an important character in Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3, not just professionally but personally too.

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Criminal Minds

8/10

Release Date

September 22, 2005

Showrunner

Erica Messer

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  Kirsten Vangsness

  Penelope Garcia

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  Matthew Gray Gubler

  Dr. Spencer Reid