ABC’s hit crime drama Will Trent is bringing more of Detective Franklin Wilks to the screen.
Kevin Daniels, who has recurred as Wilks since Season 1, has been promoted to series regular ahead of the show’s fourth season, which is slated to premiere in 2026. Production officially kicks off this August.
Wilks, best known to viewers as Angie’s (Erika Christensen) AA sponsor and a calm force in the Atlanta PD bullpen, will now take on a larger role in the series — getting deeper into the action and investigations alongside Will Trent (Ramón Rodríguez) and the rest of the team.
The series, based on Karin Slaughter’s bestselling novels, follows Special Agent Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, whose unique perspective and traumatic past fuel his unmatched success solving crimes. Season 3 ended with emotional shake-ups and unresolved questions, especially surrounding Amanda Wagner (Sonja Sohn), whose fate remains unclear after a shocking shooting.
Daniels joins the core ensemble including Rodríguez, Christensen, Iantha Richardson (Faith Mitchell), and Jake McLaughlin (Michael Ormewood). Gina Rodriguez, who debuted as Assistant District Attorney Marion Alba in Season 3, will not return — at least not right away. According to co-showrunner Liz Heldens, Rodriguez’s absence comes down to a packed story slate: “We didn’t have enough runway for everybody.”
Still, Heldens leaves the door open for a return in Season 4, noting that Rodriguez “pops off the screen” and “it was an amazing experience to work with her.”
Daniels, a stage and screen veteran, has appeared in Frasier, Sirens, Modern Family, and The Big Leap. His promotion comes just as Will Trent continues to soar on ABC and Hulu, with the network touting it as one of its top-rated dramas. Season 3 averaged over 10 million viewers across platforms and earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Choreography for Scripted Programming.
While no official premiere date has been set, Will Trent is expected to return in early 2026, continuing its midseason release pattern.