The Real Reason Jesse L. Martin Left Law & Order

Arrowverse fans may best recognize actor Jesse L. Martin as Detective Joe West on The CW's "The Flash." But long before the actor played a character who helped the Scarlet Speedster keep the peace in Central City, Martin portrayed another notable TV detective. In Season 10 of "Law and Order," Martin debuted as Detective Ed Green and would work on the show until Season 18.

Although he appeared years after the hit crime drama had already hit the air, it didn't take long for fans to warm up to the character of Green on "Law and Order," especially due to the chemistry with his first partner, Lennie Brisco (Jerry Orbach). With "Law and Order," Martin nearly reached the milestone of starring in a total of 200 episodes. But by Season 18, he received another creative itch, which led to the actor finally departing the series.

In 2008, Martin told Entertainment Weekly he wanted to leave "Law and Order" to go back to acting on stage. "It was pretty much time for me," Martin said. "I need to get back on stage before I get too scared to do it again. And with that schedule, it would be really difficult for me to ever really get to do anything like that." Since Martin cut his teeth on Broadway productions like "Rent" before succeeding on TV, it made sense that the actor wanted a proper return to the stage. However, while that return to theater meant leaving NBC's hit show at the time, it doesn't necessarily mean he's entirely closed the door on once again portraying Green.

When "Law and Order" came back to TV in 2022 after being away for over a decade, the revival featured the return of many beloved past cast members. However, not everyone made it back to the 27th Precinct, as among those missing included Jesse L. Martin. There's currently no official word of Martin starring on the latest version of "Law and Order," but according to the actor, it's still possible we could one day see him reprise his role of Detective Ed Green. 

When asked about a "Law and Order" return while appearing on CBS' "The Talk" in 2022 (via Yahoo), Martin responded with, "Well, I couldn't possibly say. I certainly hope so. There were a lot of loose ends when Ed Green left the scene if you will. Yes, maybe."

"Burn Card," the last episode to feature Green, ended with the detective quitting after being cleared of a murder investigation and his gambling issue coming to light. So there's certainly much the series could work with in picking back up with Green after so many years. In the meantime, Martin recently starred in the short-lived crime drama "The Irrational," and joined the cast for Season 3 of "Percy Jackson and the Olympians."