The ‘Chicago Fire’ Cast Exits Reshaping the Firehouse as a New Class Moves In

NBC’s ‘Chicago Fire’ returned for its new season on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 9 p.m. ET, picking up after a cliffhanger finale. The premiere arrived with major cast departures alongside a group of new firefighter candidates. The ‘Chicago Fire’ cast exits have been the dominant conversation ahead of the return.

Two familiar faces are heading out while fresh recruits take their place at the station. The new season brings two series regulars leaving, along with a pair of key guest players who are not expected back. Here is what has been reported so far about who is leaving, who is arriving and who is staying put.

Who Is Leaving ‘Chicago Fire’ This Season

The most significant departure belongs to Joe Miñoso. He has played Joe Cruz since the pilot, and reports from Deadline and Variety said he would exit after appearing in early episodes to wrap up his storyline. He first appeared as a guest star in the opening season before moving into a series regular role in the second.

The exit follows directly from last season’s closing moments. The finale ended with Cruz and several members of the firehouse trapped inside a burning storage facility. It also appeared to set up a hopeful chapter for him, as he and his wife Chloe learned they were expecting twins.

Timing is the open question. Many viewers anticipate that his final episode will land in the show’s 300th installment, which is the fifth episode of the new season. That would give the writers a milestone hour to work with, though nothing in the reporting confirms how the farewell will play out.

Dermot Mulroney and the Chief Dom Pascal Exit

The second major departure is a shorter story. Dermot Mulroney joined as a series regular in the thirteenth season, playing Chief Dom Pascal, who arrived after Chief Boden’s promotion within the department. Pascal was later terminated from the fire department for conduct unbecoming a firefighter.

What first looked temporary has since been described differently. The exit was initially framed as a temporary leave for Mulroney but has evolved into a permanent departure, with his final scenes as Pascal coming in the premiere. Deadline reported the news on July 31, citing unnamed sources, and Mulroney finished filming in August.

Mulroney addressed the exit while appearing at a convention. He said, “We gave it our all for two seasons,” and described the storyline as a high challenge that he loved. The tone suggests an amicable parting rather than a creative dispute.

Two other recurring figures are also unlikely to be back. Rob Morgan as Chief Hopkins and Jeanine Mason as Lucy Zambetti saw their guest arcs wrapped up late last season, and neither appeared in the finale.

New Firefighter Candidates Arrive at the Firehouse

Every departure creates room for newcomers, and the series is leaning into that idea. A new class of firefighter candidates is set to arrive at the station, led by Da’Vinchi as the lone new series regular. He plays Marcus Burke, described as a funny but defiant candidate, and his casting was announced by Deadline on July 23.

The supporting recruits include a familiar genre name. Matthew Daddario will guest star in the premiere as candidate McCaffrey, and the show has also confirmed Joe Eichorst as candidate Jansen and K.C. McNeil as candidate Hollis. It remains unclear how much screen time those three will receive.

Series regular status usually signals longevity. That has led to an expectation that Burke could be the probationary firefighter who earns a permanent spot with the department. It is a reasonable reading of the casting structure, though the writers have not confirmed any of it.

A Showrunner Handoff and the Cast Staying Put

Change is not limited to the cast. Showrunner Andrea Newman is departing, and co-executive producer Victor Teran, who has been on staff since the tenth season, takes over. Newman is leaving after fourteen seasons with the series.

The core ensemble remains largely intact. Taylor Kinney and Miranda Rae Mayo were reported by Deadline in May to be locked in to return, with Kinney having been on the show since the pilot and Mayo joining in the fourth season. Christian Stolte, David Eigenberg, Hanako Greensmith, Jocelyn Hudon and Brandon Larracuente are also set to return.

The series has navigated this kind of turnover before. Jesse Spencer, who played Matt Casey, and Eamonn Walker, who played Chief Wallace Boden, both left in 2021. The show carried on, which gives some indication of how the franchise approaches a changing roster.

If the 300th episode does become the goodbye for Joe Cruz, how would you want the writers to send off a firefighter who has been at the station since the pilot?