Shemar Moore's Hondo Has A Mole On His Team In New S.W.A.T. Exiles Trailer

Published Sep 2, 2026, 1:00 PM EDT

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Shemar Moore's Hondo faces new challenges in the S.W.A.T. Exiles trailer.

Moore's long-awaited return to his role as Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson Jr. is closer than ever, as S.W.A.T. Exiles debuts on Starz in just a matter of weeks. He'll be joined by a trio of familiar faces. Jay Harrington, David Lim, and Patrick St. Esprit will each appear in the S.W.A.T. spinoff, reprising their roles as Deacon, Tan, and Hicks.

The trio will return as guest stars, with the focus on Hondo as he leads a team of young and untested recruits. The premise has been compared to Top Gun: Maverick or simply a clash between Gen Z and older veterans. However, as new footage shown in the trailer reveals, Hondo has to worry about a lot more than just a generational divide.

S.W.A.T. Exiles premieres Friday, September 25 on Starz, and new episodes will be available to stream each Friday only on the STARZ app, all STARZ streaming and on-demand platforms. Ahead of the debut, the full trailer for the spinoff has been released. You can watch it below.

The trailer confirms a few things to expect after the S.W.A.T. series finale. Firstly, Hondo is reluctant to train these recruits. Perhaps more tellingly, for one reason or another, the veteran believes that he has been saddled with an unfit unit that has been set up for failure. The footage also briefly offers a look at Hicks and Deacon conversing with Hondo.

As the trailer progresses, the plot teases a mole. But for the most part, the preview spotlights the new S.W.A.T. Exiles cast. They include Lucy Barrett (Deep Water), Adain Bradley (Warfare), Zyra Gorecki (La Brea), Freddy Miyares (When They See Us), and Ronen Rubinstein (9-1-1: Lone Star). The group's dynamic with Hondo is a major focus. Rubinstein's character, for instance, asks Hondo to shoot him. It looks to be a big shift from Rubinstein's time as T.K. on Lone Star.

New S.W.A.T. Exiles Character	Actor	Description
Sammy Bishop	Lucy Barrett	A gun-show influencer with something to prove
Ethan Cole	Freddy Miyares	A socially awkward tactical savant
Cassidy Reed	Zyra Gorecki	Guarded and determined to earn her place
Jude Callan	Ronen Rubinstein	A wildcard with a troubled past
Malik Anderson	Adain Bradley	Sharp, ambitious, and hiding more than anyone realizes

But even as the new group gets some shine, Hondo has his own separate arc to move through. After a botched raid leads to the death of a young operator named Nico Reyes, Hondo is forced to take a step back. That changes when Hicks offers him the chance to lead the new unit made up of “LA's most talented rejects,” according to the official synopsis. Over 10 episodes, Hondo has to stay one step ahead while protecting his team and realizing how far he's willing to go.

That won't be the end of the story, though, because S.W.A.T. Exiles is already renewed for season 2. It's commissioned by Sony Pictures Television, with Jason Ning serving as showrunner and executive producer, alongside Neal H. Moritz, Pavun Shetty, Shemar Moore, James Scura, and Jon Cowan.