Development Law & Order: Special Victims Unit was renewed for a twenty-seventh season on May 8, 2025. That July,
NBC announced the season would premiere on September 25, 2025. Following
David Graziano's departure at the conclusion of the
twenty-sixth season,
Michele Fazekas was named as his successor as showrunner; this made her the first woman to hold the position in the series' history. She previous acted as a writer-producer from the
third to
seventh seasons.
Norberto Barba and
Julie Martin exited as executive producers, while Brenna Malloy was subsequently named as an executive producer and directing producer for the season. Speaking on becoming the series' first female showrunner, Fazekas described it as "crazy, in a way, that after 26 years on the air that [a female showrunner] didn't happen. Although not, I guess, totally surprising." She further cited
Mariska Hargitay as reason for her decision to accept the position, and revealed her intentions to change things about the series, in an effort to freshen up the series, while keeping with its roots. On January 12, 2026, the season's tenth episode, titled "Corrosive", which was due to air three days later, was removed from the schedule. According to reports, NBC removed the episode after arrest warrants were issued for guest star
Timothy Busfield three days earlier. In response, the network advanced the eleventh episode, which was originally scheduled to air on January 22. The following month, it was announced Busfield's role was recast with
David Zayas, and the episode was rescheduled to air on February 26.
Casting Season twenty-six cast members Hargitay (Captain
Olivia Benson),
Ice-T as (
Odafin "Fin" Tutuola),
Peter Scanavino (Assistant District Attorney
Dominick "Sonny" Carisi, Jr.), and
Kevin Kane (Detective Terry Bruno) returned to the show for the twenty-seventh season. In May 2025, ahead of the season twenty-six finale, it was revealed
Juliana Aidén Martinez (Junior Detective Kate Silva) and
Octavio Pisano (Detective Joe Velasco) would depart the series. That same month,
Kelli Giddish's return as a series regular was announced. Two months later, it was reported
Aimé Donna Kelly, who previously joined the series in the recurring role of Captain Renee Curry during the
twenty-second season, had been promoted to series regular. Pisano was later announced to have reprised his role, He departed at the conclusion of the
third episode. In February 2026, it was reported Pisano was spotted on-set; his return was later announced by
Deadline Hollywood, and aired as part of the
seventeenth episode. Pisano made an announced appearance during the
twentieth episode, sharing scenes with Hargitay's Olivia.
Norma Kuhling joined the series in the recurring role of Cindy "CJ" Jones, who works with Carisi in the district attorney's office. She made her first appearance during the season's
second episode.
Corey Cott, who joined the season as Detective Jake Griffin, was promoted to a series regular, starting with the
ninth episode. Previously, in the
eighteenth season, Cott portrayed Ellis Griffin, a suspect in the sexual assault of an unconscious girl. He attributed his lack of appearances to budgetary concerns with Giddish's return and other new cast members. In March 2026, Ice-T revealed he was back on set and filming the final three episodes of the season. == Cast and characters ==