Dermot Mulroney’s Exit From ‘Chicago Fire’ Closes the Book on Chief Dom Pascal
Dermot Mulroney, who plays Battalion Chief Dom Pascal on the NBC firefighter drama, was confirmed to exit the series in its fifteenth season, with Pascal’s storyline wrapped up early. The news arrived in the summer ahead of the new season, and it has given the premiere an added sense of finality for viewers who followed the chief from his arrival.
The Dermot Mulroney ‘Chicago Fire’ exit lands in the middle of a broader reshuffle at Firehouse 51. Mulroney’s departure followed news that Joe Miñoso, who has played firefighter Joe Cruz since the first season, was also leaving, while Victor Teran takes over showrunning duties from Andrea Newman.
How Chief Dom Pascal Arrived and Left Firehouse 51
Mulroney joined the series in Season 13 as the station’s next fire captain, following the exit of Eamonn Walker’s Wallace Boden after 12 seasons. It was a difficult seat to fill, since Boden had led the house for more than a decade.
Pascal’s highly disciplined way of running things rubbed some firefighters the wrong way at first, but he eventually became a valued part of the Firehouse 51 team. That slow shift from outsider to trusted leader became the backbone of the character’s run.
The chief’s path took a turn in the following season. Mulroney took a hiatus, with Pascal getting arrested and fired for unbecoming conduct, before he returned for the Season 14 finale. Reporting at the time also noted that the character took a job out of state after being fired by the department.
What the Season 15 Premiere Means for Pascal
The fifteenth season returned on Wednesday, October 7, with a premiere titled “New Blood,” and it was billed as Mulroney’s last episode as Dom Pascal. That makes the opening hour both a cliffhanger resolution and a farewell.
The finale had left the house in serious trouble. Nearly everyone except Pascal and paramedics Violet and Novak was either inside the building or on the ladder outside when the fire took a serious turn. Pascal had been brought back by the department’s leadership in an attempt to sway Kelly Severide’s decision, and he rode along with the house to the fire call.
The one episode structure was confirmed well before the premiere. Mulroney said he would be back for a single episode, which he finished filming on July 28. Deadline reported that he would return just to wrap up his storyline early in the new season.
Dermot Mulroney’s Farewell at Flashback Weekend
The actor addressed the departure in person. Mulroney appeared at Flashback Weekend in Chicago over the weekend of August 1 and 2 and discussed his farewell during a panel. He admitted to feeling bitter about the exit, while saying he loved every minute of his time on the series.
He was candid about the scale of his role going forward. Mulroney said that “this season, sadly, I have one episode,” and he noted that some of his colleagues had been on the show for fifteen years while he had ten episodes in the prior season. The comparison framed his two seasons as a shorter run than the ensemble around him.
He also spoke about the weight of the material. Mulroney said the tragic storyline began to feel really heavy, though he was proud of how he delivered, and he reflected on what the show means to first responders and their loved ones. That storyline centered on Pascal’s wife being killed in a car accident during Season 13.
Chicago Fire Cast Changes Behind the Scenes
Mulroney is not the only name leaving the firehouse. Joe Miñoso, an original cast member, is exiting early in the season after appearing in a few episodes to wrap up his character’s arc. With his exit, the remaining actors who have been on the show since the first season include Taylor Kinney.
Not every shift is a departure. Taylor Kinney and longtime star Miranda Rae Mayo are both set to return after renegotiating their deals. Jocelyn Hudon has teased that the season will introduce several new probationary firefighters to Firehouse 51.
Mulroney’s schedule looks full beyond the chief’s office. He also plays a series regular on the Netflix drama ‘The Hunting Wives,’ which recently wrapped filming its second season. He has also said he is expected to return for a sequel to the 2005 film ‘The Family Stone.’ For viewers who watched Pascal go from a stern outsider to a chief the house rallied around, the comments are open for anyone who wants to say whether a single episode was enough to send him off properly.
