As the S.W.A.T. franchise prepares for its high-stakes transition to cable, lead actor Shemar Moore is reflecting on the path that brought the series to its upcoming sequel, S.W.A.T. Exiles. The original series concluded its eight-season broadcast run on May 16, 2025.
A Grittier Transition to Starz
The franchise is now pivoting toward a new chapter on Starz with S.W.A.T. Exiles, scheduled to premiere on Friday, September 25, 2026. While Moore reprises his role as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson, the sequel series marks a significant tonal shift from the 20-Squad era. The new narrative finds Hondo building a brand-new unit composed of what the network describes as “LA’s most talented rejects,” moving away from the traditional broadcast model into a grittier cable format.
According to TVLine, the series has already received a vote of confidence from its new home. Starz renewed S.W.A.T. Exiles for a second season in August 2026, over a month before the first episode even aired. This early security stands in stark contrast to the year-to-year uncertainty Moore and the team experienced during the show’s final years at CBS.
New Faces and Returning Favorites
The move to a new unit introduces a fresh ensemble cast to join Moore. New series regulars include Ronen Rubinstein, Freddy Miyares, Zyra Gorecki, Adain Bradley, and Lucy Barrett. Despite the overhaul of the primary squad, the sequel will maintain ties to its roots. Original cast members Jay Harrington, Patrick St. Esprit, and David Lim are confirmed to return to the series in guest-starring roles, providing a bridge between the legacy of the original 20-Squad and Hondo’s new “Exiles” team.
The production shift also represents a change in “windowing” strategy. While the series will debut on Starz, the streamlined format allows for a more focused, cinematic approach to Hondo’s story. For Moore, the move to cable appears to be the final resolution to a decade of “survival” on broadcast TV, trading the high-volume episode counts of CBS for the narrative stability of a premium network.
