Jeffrey Donovan’s Det. Cosgrove will have a new partner in the fall now that Anthony Anderson has left.

Earlier this summer, news broke that Anthony Anderson would not be returning to Law & Order after the show was renewed for its 22nd season.

Anderson signed a one-year contract for the show’s revival. He appeared as one of two of the original cast members that returned for the series. He did not extend his contract and bid farewell to the Dick Wolf franchise.

With Anderson gone, Mehcad Brooks is set to join the cast.

His exact character has not been disclosed, but it is speculated Brooks will play a detective alongside Donovan’s Cosgrove. Donovan recently chatted with CinemaBlend disclosing his opinion on the casting changes.

“So, I met Mehcad over Zoom and he’s a fine young gentleman and I’m looking forward to working with him,” Donovan said. “And I will, as will many on the cast and crew, miss Anthony. But he’s in charge of his own destiny. And he helped create a buzz about this first season which I’m eternally grateful for.”

“As we walk down the streets of New York, they yell ‘Anthony, Anthony, and the other guy from 'Burn Notice,’ so you know, his notoriety certainly drew eyes. And I’m very appreciative of that," he added.

Anderson’s role on Black-ish for eight seasons garnered him an impressive fan base that made him an instantly recognizable celebrity. Donovan’s notoriety, on the other hand, stemmed from his role in Burn Notice. 

Donovan continued to share his experience of not being an easily recognized celebrity. “By the way, that’s a callback too. I visited the troops with Bruce Campbell and in Iraq back in 2009,” he said. “And when we landed, there was a line around the block of the cantina where all of the soldiers were. There’s like a hundred of them. And they all started yelling, ‘Bruce, Bruce, Bruce, Bruce, Bruce,’ and then one guy goes ‘And the other guy from Burn Notice!’ So, that’s what it’s from. I’m fine being the other guy from whatever. I’m fine with that.”