Wait, What: Chicago Fire Accidentally Reveals Severide Will Leave Next Season?

Wait, What: Chicago Fire Accidentally Reveals Severide Will Leave Next Season?

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With months to go until fans reunite with the firefighters and paramedics of Firehouse 51, viewers are eagerly awaiting any information about who will be leaving Chicago Fire after Season 12 and who will be returning for Season 13. Aside from Rosende, Killmer, Flynn, and Walker, no other Chicago Fire cast members have been confirmed to be leaving after Season 12. However, there are three actors that fans are speculating could be leaving in Season 13 based on clues in the Season 12 finale. Rumors first circulated that Kinney—who has played Lieutenant Kelly Severide since Season 1—would be leaving Chicago Fire in Season 11 when he took a temporary leave of absence from the series and was written out of the final eight episodes of the season.

Kinney and NBC never revealed the reason for his mysterious departure from Chicago Fire, but he continued to fuel speculation about his status on the series when Severide returned for Season 12 only to leave a few episodes into the season. Although Severide returned in time for the Season 12 finale, “Never Say Goodbye,” there was one big clue viewers may have missed that could have hinted at his departure in Season 13. In the Season 12 finale, Fire Chief Wallace Boden left Firehouse 51 after being promoted to Deputy Fire Commissioner of the Chicago Fire Department. However, before leaving, Boden offered his role as Firehouse 51’s chief to Lieutenant Christopher Herrmann, who was hesitant to take the role. Before the finale, fans speculated that Severide — who Boden had put in charge as the temporary chief of Firehouse 51 while he was absent for the past few episodes — would be promoted to chief, as he was one of the highest-ranking members of Firehouse 51 and had been filling in as chief while Boden was away. When that didn’t happen, fans wondered why Severide wasn’t promoted. (No hints to Herrmann!) More: The best Chicago Fire episodes of all time The main theory is that Chicago Fire was planning for Kinney’s departure in Season 13, so it wouldn’t make sense for the series to promote Severide to chief of police only to write him off the series later in Season 13. Chicago Fire also laid the groundwork for a divorce between Severide and his wife, Lieutenant Stella Kidd, who had been having marital problems since Severide left Kidd with little warning to train with OFI in Season 11. Their marital problems continued in Season 12 when Kidd expressed her fear that Severide would abandon her again to investigate another arson. While the couple seemed to be in a better place in the epilogue — in which Stellarid talked about having children — the groundwork was still there for Severide and Kidd to divorce in Season 13 if he left the series. Miranda Rae Mayo, who plays Kidd, shared with NBC Insider after the Season 12 finale how Severide and Kidd’s differing views on starting a family could also affect their relationship. “I think they feel differently about it because for them to start a family, it would mean that Stella would have to put her career on hold,” Mayo said. “He could continue to be a lieutenant, and she couldn’t for a while…” Mayo continued, “And it’s interesting. Stella doesn’t want to get married. I think she likes kids. She likes working with kids, but she hasn’t decided yet whether or not she wants to have kids of her own. And I think it’s a big question of timing.” Like Severide, Joe Cruz — who has been played by Joe Minoso since Season 1 of Chicago Fire — was also expected to be promoted in the Season 12 finale. Before the finale, the initial theory from fans was that both Severide and Cruz would be promoted after Boden left Fire 51 to take a job as Deputy Fire Commissioner of the Chicago Fire Department. The theory was that Severide would be promoted to captain, and Cruz would replace Severide as lieutenant, which makes sense since Cruz served as interim lieutenant of Fire 51 while Severide was away in Season 11. The role even caused drama when Severide returned to Fire 51 in Season 12, and Cruz, who was used to giving orders without Severide’s permission, clashed with him so much that he was there