A familiar face is returning to Gaffney Chicago Medical Center in Chicago Med season 11, but their sudden appearance in the Windy City could undo their great and fitting ending from three seasons ago. The NBC medical drama has undergone many cast changes over the years. Chicago Med‘s cast today certainly doesn’t look the same as it did during its first season.
Nick Gehlfuss Is Reprising His Role As Will Halstead In Chicago Med Season 11
Gehlfuss Will Have A “Guest-Starring Role”
According to Deadline, Nick Gehlfuss is reprising his role as Dr. Will Halstead in Chicago Med season 11. As fans recall, Will was last seen in the season 8 finale. He left Gaffney and Chicago behind and moved on to the next chapter in his life. Now, though, Gehlfuss’ character is returning as a guest star in the upcoming season.
The One Chicago universe first introduced Will in Chicago PD (as he is the brother of Jay Halstead) before he became one of Chicago Med‘s original main characters. For eight seasons, Will remained a steady presence in the medical drama. It felt like Chicago Med would never be without him. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, and Will has been gone for two seasons.
Gehlfuss left Chicago Med after season 8 but is now set to have a “guest-starring role” in season 11. It’s unclear how many episodes that entails, as details surrounding his return are minimal. The reason behind his sudden reappearance is also being kept under wraps. As the premiere nears, we’ll probably know more about Will’s return. For now, though, everything is uncertain.
Will Had A Perfect Ending In The Season 8 Finale
He Moved To Seattle
While exciting on the surface, Will’s return (which is almost certainly profit-motivated instead of story-motivated) risks undoing his perfect ending during the Chicago Med season 8 finale. Will, who famously has a hero complex, fell on his sword to protect another doctor (Grace Song) and resigned from Gaffney in his last episode. There would be no better way for Gehlfuss’ character to go.
To make Will’s sendoff even better, the doctors and nurses of Gaffney gave him a literal sendoff when they all clapped for him as he walked out of the hospital’s doors. Then, perhaps the best part of his goodbye, the Chicago Med season 8 finale ended with Will moving to Seattle and reuniting with his one true love, Dr. Natalie Manning.
Natalie and her son, Owen, picked Will up from the airport, and they all but walked off into the sunset together. Yes, Natalie and Will’s love story over the course of the One Chicago show was long and arduous. Sometimes, it felt like they were both better off apart. However, at the end of the day, anyone could see that they belonged together.
So, when Chicago Med season 8 concluded with Natalie and Will’s reunion, it was the perfect way to end Will’s story. It was still sad to see him go. However, Will deserved a happy ending, and that is exactly what he got. That is also why Gehlfuss’ return in Chicago Med season 11 is so scary.
Will’s Return Could Easily Undo His Great Send-Off
Chicago Med Season 11 Could Ruin Everything For Will
Whenever a sequel, reboot, or revival of a show or a movie with an ideal ending comes about, there is always the chance that what comes next ruins what was already perfect. As the saying goes, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Unfortunately, that might be the case when Gehlfuss reprises his role as Will in Chicago Med season 11.
Will’s return could easily ruin his happily-ever-after, especially because it hasn’t been that long since he left. We don’t know what Will has been up to, and that hasn’t been an issue. Perhaps it’s better to imagine Will’s life in Seattle rather than be told about it. It’s nice to picture him and Natalie in a happy and healthy relationship, after all.
However, now that Will is coming back to Chicago, the show has to update the Chicago Med characters and the audience on his life. The best-case scenario is that he is thriving in Seattle and not much has changed since we last saw him. Or the medical drama could lean into its infamous soap opera tendencies and ruin Will’s happy ending.
The good news is that there is a chance that Gehlfuss’ special guest role won’t ruin his character’s previous ending. It doesn’t sound like he’s returning for good, which is a good sign. Only time will tell what the future holds for Will in Chicago Med season 11, though.
Chicago Med season 11 premieres on Wednesday, October 1, at 8 pm ET on NBC. It will be followed by the debuts of Chicago Fire season 14 at 9 pm ET and Chicago PD season 13 at 10 pm ET.
