Series regulars Julianna Martinez (How Not to Date While Trans, ’79 Parts) who joined this season as Detective Kate Silva, and Octavio Pisano (Law & Order: Organized Crime, If Loving You is Wrong) who joined the series in season 23 as undercover detective Joe Velasco, will reportedly not be returning for season 27 of Law & Order. According to Deadline, while the reason is unclear, either due to budgeting or creative differences, it can be noted that NBC has recently inputted budget reductions across certain shows.

On May 15, the season finale entitled Post-Rage, directed by Norberto Barba (Apollo 11, Blue Tiger), will allegedly reveal the conclusion for both characters. Via Deadline, the series has already been renewed for a 27th season, with Michele Fazekas (Gen V, (Kevin (Probably) Saves the World) to become the first female showrunner since the show began.

Law & Order: SVU, otherwise known as the special victims unit, follows detectives that strictly prosecute sex crimes. While most episodes are fiction, according to Deadline, there are some that are based on real events and that have appeared in actual news headlines. Mariska Hargitay (Witchblade, Night Sins), who has played her lead role on the show as Detective Olivia Benson since 1999, fights for justice with her team with compassionate efforts.

Created by Dick Wolf (Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Mann & Machine), he plans to executively produce the upcoming 27th season alongside Barba and Hargitay. Wolf, according to Deadline, has a full production team accompanying him in preparation for the new season, with Julie Martin (My Bare Lady, The Bedford Diaries) joining, as well as Kenneth Brown (The Bone Collector, Striptease) and Peter Jankowski (When You’re Strange, Home is Where You Find It). 

Besides his work on Law & Order: SVU, Wolf has successfully created the One Chicago Franchise, which includes Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, and Chicago Med. Via Deadline, while these series have recently been renewed, cost-cutting measures have been initiated for the episodes, citing a possible reason as to why Martinez and Pisano will not return in season 27.

The current Law & Order: SVU and other Law & Order shows air on NBC and can be streamed on Peacock, while fans anxiously wait for the return of the series in fall of 2025.