“Will Trent” Gets a Blast from the Past as Mark-Paul Gosselaar Returns for the First Time Since Season 1

The 'Found' actor previously appeared as Will and Angie's foster brother in four season 1 episodes

NEED TO KNOW

• Mark-Paul Gosselaar is returning to Will Trent on the Tuesday, Feb. 17 episode
• The Found alum last appeared in the season 1 finale of the hit ABC drama
• Will Trent airs Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET on ABC

Will is about to get a blast from his past.

ABC's new first-look photos for the Tuesday, Feb. 17 episode of Will Trent reveal that Mark-Paul Gosselaar is returning to the hit series for the first time since the season 1 finale. The Found alum first appeared in the show's pilot episode as Paul Campano, a former foster kid who grew up to be a wealthy car dealership owner.

In Will Trent's first episode, Paul's teenage daughter is kidnapped and he's not happy to have Will (Ramón Rodríguez) on the case due to their antagonistic relationship growing up in a foster home together as kids. Their dynamic shifted after Will saved his daughter, and Paul ended up returning to help Will when Angie (Erika Christensen) was in danger during the first season finale.

Gosselaar, 51, appeared in four season 1 episodes, but when he landed a lead role in NBC's Found it appeared his time on the ABC drama was over. However, Found ended in 2025, which seems to have opened the door for the actor to make his long-awaited return in the upcoming episode "Call Paul."

According to ABC's official synopsis "Call Paul" features "a chilling suburban murder" that "pushes Will and Faith into the mind of a meticulous killer. As his empathy edges toward obsession, the return of Paul Campano, his volatile former foster brother, threatens to unravel both the case and Will’s inner balance."

While Gosselaar doesn't appear in the teaser for the episode, it's clear this is set to be a dramatic outing for Rodríguez as Will finds himself getting lost in the mind of a potential serial killer.

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In a 2025 interview with TV Insider, Gosselaar revealed that he was hopeful that he would reprise his Will Trent role in the future.

"I sure hope so," he told the outlet of returning at the time. "Will Trent, I loved working with [executive producer] Liz Heldens. She was also on The Passage, and she was my showrunner then. Great cast. I’ve got a couple of friends on that cast, and I always had a good time. I’d love to. I loved that character, Paul Campano, it was fun playing that exaggerated version of other characters I’ve played."

Gosselaar is the latest recurring character to make a return appearance in season 4 so far. In addition to Paul, the most recent season has also welcomed back Julia Chan as Will's no strings attached romantic partner Ava, Jonny Beauchamp as drag queen Bon Bon and Greg Germann as the deadly James Ulster. Additionally, Margaret Cho reprised her role as Will's therapist, Dr. Roach.

New episodes of Will Trent air Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET on ABC.

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