'Criminal Minds' season 12 cast news: Paget Brewster promoted to series regular following Thomas Gibson's exit

A fan favorite character is returning to "Criminal Minds" in its upcoming season 12.

Paget Brewster, who was a series regular between seasons 2 and 7 and a recurring guest star thereafter, is reprising her role as Supervisory Special Agent Emily Prentiss in the next season of the long-running police procedural drama. The announcement of Brewster's return follows that of Thomas Gibson's firing.

Brewster will return to "Criminal Minds" as a series regular, filling the void that Gibson, an original cast member, leaves in the wake of his exit. Her new permanent status as series regular in season 12 is a promotion, given that the actress was originally slated to return to the series only for a multi-episode arc in the coming season. Brewster's last guest stint in "Criminal Minds" was in season 11, following the exit of Shemar Moore's Agent Derek Morgan.

"We're all so excited to have Paget with us full time," the executive producer of "Criminal Minds," Erica Messer, said in a statement.

Gibson, who has played BAU Unit Chief and Senior SSA Aaron Hotchner since the series premiered in 2005, was fired earlier this month following an on-set altercation with a producer.

"Thomas Gibson has been dismissed from 'Criminal Minds,'" ABC Studios and CBS Studios said in a statement. "Creative details for how the character's exit will be addressed in the show will be announced at a later date."

Gibson later released his own statement about the ouster, saying that he loved the show and had put his heart and soul into it.

"I had hoped to see it through to the end, but that won't be possible now," he said. "I would just like to say thank you to the writers, producers, actors, our amazing crew, and, most importantly, the best fans that a show could ever hope to have."

"Criminal Minds" season 12 is scheduled to debut on Wednesday, Sept. 28, at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

Brewster's first episode as a series regular is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 12.