Casting features an established ensemble including Shemar Moore as the strong Black agent Derek Morgan (ongoing since Season 2), Paget Brewster as Emily Prentiss, and others, representing incidental diversity organic to a modern FBI team portrayal without race-swapping, gender-bending, or clashes with source material (as an original series). The major controversy involved A.J. Cook's (JJ) abrupt departure after Season 5 due to budget cuts and creative differences, leading to fan backlash and the introduction of Rachel Nichols as rookie agent Ashley Seaver—a white woman replacing another white woman—which felt forced to some viewers but was not DEI-driven or progressive activism.

Nichols exited after one season amid poor reception for her character, with Cook returning in Season 7. Episodes like 'Supply and Demand' address human trafficking, and others cover child abductions or murders, but these serve plot progression via profiling without lecture moments, systemic critiques of patriarchy/racism/capitalism, or identity politics focal points. No creator interviews emphasize inclusion mandates or challenging norms; reception critiques focus on emotional tone shifts, cast instability, and disturbing content, not wokeness. Later iterations like Evolution drew woke backlash for DEI/BLM/LGBTQ+ elements, but Season 6 lacks such integration, remaining entertainment-focused with minor background diversity.