The show received a greenlight for a first 10-episode season by Sony Pictures Television in May 2025, shortly after the series' final cancellation was announced to the public. The production was done by itself as a result of being able to work with the same crew, as well as being filmed at the same location in Los Angeles (the original locations would be closed for production), to ensure the entire team stayed together. The showrunner is Jason Ning (Lucifer), executive producers are Neal H. Moritz, Pavun Shetty (Original Film), Shemar Moore, Jason Ning, and James Scura.

S.W.A.T. Exiles season 1: Release Date Speculation

Nothing has been confirmed yet, including distribution for the new series that just completed filming in February 2026. However, according to reports, the series has been shown to multiple networks and streaming services (e.g., Netflix, HBO Max, Prime Video, and FOX) that have expressed a strong interest in distributing it.

A release date has not yet been announced, but from the continuing success of previous shows by Sony (e.g., The Hunting Wives), it is expected that a 2026 premiere will be possible if a deal can be reached soon, compared to the lag time usually associated with this process. The show is listed on IMDb as having a 2026 release date. Recent news reports indicate no trailers about the show have been released to the public thus far.

S.W.A.T. Exiles season 1: Plot Details

The logline from CBS's new "Hondo" show describes what happens when Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson is forced into an early retirement after a mission goes bad. He comes back as the head of an "experimental" S.W.A.T team.

The show's concept is similar in tone to the film "Top Gun: Maverick," and follows Hondo as he mentors this band of misfits while they try to work together as a team, help protect their city, and ultimately save Hondo's job with the program.

Unlike the original S.W.A.T., there are some aspects that carry over into this new "experiment" S.W.A.T unit, but they are primarily different than the former.

S.W.A.T. Exiles season 1: Cast

• Shemar Moore as Sergeant II Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson Jr. (series regular, lead).
• Ronen Rubinstein (9-1-1: Lone Star) as Jude Callan / Jude Reddick (one of the young recruits).
• Freddy Miyares (When They See Us) as Ethan Cole.
• Lucy Barrett (Charmed, Deep Water) as Samantha "Sammy" Bishop.
• Zyra Gorecki (La Brea) as Cassidy Han / Cassidy Reed (a character who is an amputee and refuses desk duty).
• Adain Bradley (All American, Warfare) as Malik Henderson / Malik Anderson.

Guest or recurring appearances from the original series include:

• Jay Harrington as Sergeant David "Deacon" Kay (at least the pilot).
• Patrick St. Esprit as Commander Robert "Bob" Hicks (at least the pilot).
• David Lim as Officer III Victor Tan (reprising his role).

Additional guest stars: Selma Blair and Jerry O'Connell. Lenora Crichlow is also set to recur.

The newly hired employees are represented as being an eclectic mixture of different character types, including: former Marine/charismatic leader, undercover policeman with a past marred by violence, tactical genius, academy scholar, and others with issues or hidden agendas (which include one that has a personal vendetta against Hondo). The names and descriptions of these characters have differed slightly from source to source, but the core group remains constant.

The first look images (from about February 2026) show Moore working with the new team in action-oriented poses.