Will Matthew Gray Gubler Remain On ‘Criminal Minds’ As Dr. Spencer Reid?


The future of Criminal Minds is uncertain, as is the question of whether Matthew Gray Gubler will stay on as Dr. Spencer Reid on the show. It is currently rumored that Criminal Minds may be canceled in the future, but this is mainly because CBS has not as of yet renewed the show for Season 12.

After Thomas Gibson was fired from Criminal Minds, the ratings began to drop and there was even a protest by some Gibson fans who vowed to boycott the show until Thomas returned. However, even though CBS has just renewed a host of other shows, this isn’t the first time that Criminal Minds hasn’t been placed on CBS’s early renewal list, as iTech News report. On one other occasion, Criminal Minds wasn’t renewed early due to contract issues, so there is still hope for the show.

One of the biggest concerns, however, is whether Matthew Gray Gubler will continue his role as Dr. Spencer Reid on Criminal Minds. Buddy TV reports that fans are already growing extremely concerned about what will happen to Spencer, and showrunner Erica Messer has explained that life is going to get increasingly worse for Dr. Reid before things eventually, and hopefully, turn around.

Matthew Gray Gubler with Paget Brewster, Joe Mantegna, and AJ Cook of ‘Criminal Minds’ on August 23, 2014. [Image by Jerod Harris/Getty Images]

“There are a lot of internal and external factors that are yet to come in that storyline, so hang on tight. It’s such a fun thing for us to do on this show, because as you know we’ve never done anything this big of an arc for this long. And to take our most vulnerable hero and put him in the last place you’d ever want him to be has I think got people talking, which is great. We want that.”

Erica Messer also explained that the current storyline in Criminal Minds which has Matthew Gray Gubler’s Spencer Reid character in prison was thought up long before ratings dropped in the show and Shemar Moore and Thomas Gibson left.

“I think it was before the Reid arc even got kicked off, so I don’t think it has anything to do with that. In fact, the hope was that people will have to tune in, because it’s something serialized, and it’s with one of the fan favorites. So if anything, we’re certainly hoping this sort of puts that decline to rest and gets people back watching.”

Even though Shemar Moore has left the show, he and his Derek Morgan character are reported to be returning for the Season 12 finale, where he will help the BAU in their dealings with Mr. Scratch. It is thought that Dr. Spencer Reid’s fate will be determined in this last episode of the season for Criminal Minds, but will Matthew Gray Gubler’s character remain in prison and leave the show or will he still be on it if CBS renew the show for Season 13?

Last November, the co-executive producer of Criminal Minds, Harry Bring, told fans who were concerned that Matthew Gray Gubler would be leaving the show to just “relax,” as the International Business Times reports. On Twitter, Bring explained that while he did make references to Dr. Spencer Reid and Gubler, he thought that fans might be taking his words too seriously and suggested that they shouldn’t read too much into his posts about Criminal Minds.

“I said not to worry in 3 other tweets. I gotta stop tweeting stuff. People read too much into my posts.”

Matthew Gray Gubler, Kirsten Vangsness, Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook at Comic-Con on July 14, 2012. [Image by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images]

There continue to be rumors about Matthew Gray Gubler leaving Criminal Minds regardless of what Harry Bring has said, especially given the fact that he is currently suffering tremendously in prison, and so far there is little hope of him getting out.

Do you think Matthew Gray Gubler is going to stay on Criminal Minds and that Dr. Spencer Reid will finally be freed during the Season 12 finale?

[Featured Image by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images]

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