Law & Order fans are mourning the loss of another good detective. Actor Mehcad Brooks who plays Detective Jalen Shaw on the show won’t be returning for the show’s upcoming 25th season.
Per Deadline, the decision seemed mutual as Mehcad is pursuing other projects. While the actor hasn’t commented on the news, he wrote to Instagram in April about the ending of season 24: “That’s a wrap on [the season]. What an amazing, intense, and deeply grounding experience.”
He continued: “It’s a pleasure to share the screen with such talented and hardworking artists and such an intrepid crew who truly care about what we are co-creating.”
But, while this news may shock some actors, Mehcad is “too blessed to stress” per a recent Instagram post. Instead, he has many things to celebrate. The 44-year-old actor appeared in the most recent season of And Just Like That… and enjoyed a red carpet event for the show.
While Mehcad is leaving Law & Order, his famous costars are returning. Tony Goldwyn, Reid Scott, Hugh Dancy, Odelya Halevi, and Maura Tierney are set to come back, according to Deadline.
Mehcad joined the legal procedural three years ago to replace Anthony Anderson, who starred in season 21. Anthony and Sam Waterston returned to Law & Order in a move to help get the show back on its feet after a 10-year hiatus.
He was deeply connected to his character, Jalen Shaw.
“Jaylen being a Black man who is a cop — not a cop who’s Black — he understands that there’s a system that was put in place centuries ago that every Black person has to fight against,” Mehcad told TheWrap in 2022. “Maybe you can escape it, maybe you can’t…He never wanted to be the guardian of that system.”
His role on the iconic show meant a lot to the actor. Mehcad told Entertainment Tonight that his casting was “a dream come true in so many ways,” adding, “I grew up watching the show, so it’s surreal in some ways.”
© GettyFans are disappointed, but Mehcad has a lot to look forward to. Aside from his interesting role in season three of AJLT…, the actor is starring in Mortal Kombat II which premieres in October 2025.
Mehcad is set to reprise his role of Jax in the film. In 2021, he explained how exciting the role was to HELLO!: “Playing Jax was amazing. Started off as a dream come true and very quickly became my inspiration for working harder than I ever have in my life.”
He continued: “[I learned] how to move like the character, learn how to fight like the character, take on the story of how someone would find themselves in his position, fighting inter-dimensional monsters and timeless ninjas.”
© GettyRegardless of what show he’s on, Mehcad loves to act.
“I [love] that you [are] able to affect people through communication, and able to affect people through intellect, and able to affect people through your intuition, rather than your physical prowess,” he told the Austin American-Statesman.
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