There are a lot of question marks heading into the upcoming fifteenth season of Chicago Fire thanks to the nature of the season 14 finale cliffhanger.
As season 14 drew to a close, nearly every member of Firehouse 51 found themselves in grave danger, with the sole exceptions being paramedics Violet and Novak and former 51 Chief Dom Pascal. From the moment the finale drew to a close, fans have been theorizing about the outcome of the fire that put the lives of so many members of the show’s ensemble at risk, and we’ll continue to spend the months leading up to season 15 talking about who will survive the fire.
The only two characters from the cliffhanger we know for certain will be coming back in season 15 are Severide and Kidd, whose futures were locked in when Taylor Kinney and Miranda Rae Mayo inked new deals to return for season 15. The same cannot be said for the rest of the crew, with Herrmann, Mouch, Vasquez, Cruz, Capp, Tony, and Ballard’s futures all left up in the air. The good news is that we fully expect the majority of these characters will survive and be back for next season.
While much of the conversation surrounding season 15 is understandably focused on the characters whose lives were left hanging in the balance after the finale, not every absence next season will be tied to the cliffhanger. Whether due to recent exits or storylines that appear to have run their course, these are the seven Chicago Fire characters we’re not expecting to see back in season 15.
Jack Damon
Up first we have Jack Damon, who left 51 at the top of the season after requesting a transfer to a different firehouse. The storyline was rushed and sudden due to the departure of Michael Bradway from the series, an exit that occurred off-screen.
Bradway exited the show to take a series regular role in Prime Video’s Every Year After, which debuted its first season this June. While the status of the show remains unclear, should a second season be ordered, it would seem safe to assume Bradway would not have time to return to Chicago Fire. Even if Every Year After season 2 doesn’t happen, we’re still not certain the writers would bring Damon back, which is why it seems likely we have seen the last of him for now.
Sam Carver
Speaking of characters who exited the show in season 14. Given that Carver was the only character who returned for a guest spot following his initial exit from the show, there is a chance we could see him make another guest appearance in season 15; however, we’re not sure what good another appearance from the character would be, given where the writing has taken Carver and Violet.
When Carver left, it was a shot to the heart to fans who had been hoping to see him and Violet reconnect and take a second chance at their relationship. As season 14 began, Violet was working on moving on after the pair decided to cut off all communication to help allow them to move on. Then Carver made a surprise return when his unit was passing through town to learn about Violet’s paramedic program. It was clear that Carver wasn’t over Violet, but the visit helped Violet close the book on that chapter, leading to her hooking up with Vasquez.
Things between Violet and Vasquez remain murky with the love triangle it has created between the pair and Novak, and it’s a storyline we expect will continue to take center stage in season 15. Unless the writers have a plan to bring Carver back in a full-time capacity, which seems unlikely, there doesn’t seem to be much of a point to bring him back into the mix again.
Darren Ritter
Our final series regular exit of season 14 came with the departure of Daniel Kyri, who left the show early in season 14 as a result of budget cuts to the show. To accommodate the departure, Ritter left Chicago to move to New York to be with his longtime boyfriend Dwayne.
Following his exit, we didn’t hear much about Ritter, with the show moving on from his exit quite quickly, which was disappointing yet not surprising given how underutilized the character had been for years. If they couldn’t find a way to bring Ritter back in season 14 following his sudden departure or make an effort to give fans a true update on how things with Dwayne were going after his move, we don’t imagine it’s a priority for the writers for season 15.
Lucy Zambetti
We never expected Lucy to enter the mix and steal our hearts, but that’s exactly what she did toward the back half of the season. Lucy’s arrival came on a dark day at 51, with her first day coinciding with Chief Pascal’s last day at the firehouse. Given that Lucy had been hired to be Pascal’s assistant, we worried that she might just be a one-episode guest character; however, Lucy ended up sticking around after Pascal left the firehouse, and she quickly became an asset to the firehouse.
Sadly, her loyalties to the firehouse’s team were what ultimately led to her downfall.
After helping to push through a request Kidd had submitted for old case files using Chief Hopkins’ name, Lucy was fired from her job by Hopkins. We hoped she would fight back and try to save her job, but sadly she seemed to quietly disappear after being fired, and we don’t foresee her return in season 15.
Chief Andre Hopkins
Speaking of Chief Hopkins, he’s yet another character we won’t be surprised not to see back in season 15. Chief Hopkins was introduced following the departure of Dermot Mulroney as Chief Pascal for what was described as a break from the show. Hopkins would come in as Chief 51’s new chief following Pascal’s dismissal from the CFD, and he quickly became a primary antagonist for the final stretch of the season.
Hopkins has personal beef with Severide and was set on pushing him out of the CFD due to an old grudge he was carrying against Severide’s father, Benny. To our surprise, the storyline was wrapped up before the finale with Severide uncovering the truth about the call at the heart of the grudge and Hopkins leaving 51.
When One Chicago Center spoke with Rob Morgan timed to the episode’s airing, he seemed to suggest that there were nocurrent plans to bring him back for season 15—thus, why we’re not going to be shocked if Hopkins does not return in season 15.
Captain Jean Williams
Another new character introduced in season 14, Captain Williams was Chief Hopkins’ friend and longtime colleague. The pair were thick as thieves, which is ironically why Hopkins never thought to question whether Williams was telling the truth when she denied having any involvement in the theft of an expensive watch that went missing at the scene of a jewelry store fire years ago.
Upon looking into the case in hopes of getting to the bottom of Hopkins’ grudge with his father, Severide uncovered evidence that revealed Williams was responsible for the theft of the watch. With the truth having come out, Williams faced charges for her actions, and the character’s arc ended just as fast as it began.
Captain Catherine Hargrave
Of the characters on this list, there is certainly a chance that we could see Captain Hargrave back in a guest capacity in season 15; however, there is also a good chance that we will not.
Fans will recall that Hargrave offered up the job of head of OFI to Severide as the season came to a close, noting to him that she was only the interim head and had no plans of staying in the position. Assuming Severide will decline the job offer in order to remain at 51, it would seem safe to assume that we might be introduced to a new head of OFI in season 15.
That’s not to say we might not see Hargrave back at the opening of the season or popping up to enlist Severide’s help on a case, but if she’s moving out of the position that Van Meter once held, it seems safe to assume the writers might move on from the character.
