Taylor Kinney’s future on Chicago Fire has been up in the air for a few seasons, but a recent update reassures me that Kelly Severide is staying put (at least for season 13). The NBC procedural drama is headed for its 13th season in the fall of 2024, and Kinney will reprise his role as Severide in upcoming episodes. The actor’s role on Chicago Fire has yet to be determined. But maybe we can finally stop worrying about Severide joining the long list of One Chicago characters not returning in 2024. In season 12 alone, four Chicago Fire actors left the show. From Kara Killmer’s Sylvie Brett in episode 6 to Eamonn Walker’s Chief Boden leaving Chicago Fire in the series finale, it’s been a tough year for fans. Losing another original cast member might be too much for them to bear (I know it would be for me). So knowing that Severide isn’t going anywhere when Chicago Fire season 13 premieres is a huge relief.
At the end of Chicago Fire season 11, NBC announced that Taylor Kinney would be taking a break from the series. The report claimed that the actor was dealing with a “personal matter.” As a result, from episode 15 through the season 11 finale, Kinney was absent, making episode 14 the last time viewers saw him for the entire season. To explain Kinney’s absence, Severide was invited to OFI boot camp in Alabama. However, since he didn’t return for the finale, the writers had to come up with an additional reason as to why Severide was gone for so long.
Without telling Stella, Severide went into an ATF investigation after completing OFI boot camp. This seems to indicate that the end was coming for the married couple and that Kinney would never return to Chicago Fire. Fortunately, that didn’t happen when the actor appeared in season 12. However, rumors of a possible Kinney runaway and Severide’s obsession with the arson investigation continued to strain his relationship with Stella. As a result, I (along with many others) worried that the writers were setting up Kinney’s eventual exit through Severide and Stella’s divorce.
Perhaps my nearly two-year-long worry about Taylor Kinney leaving Chicago Fire may finally be over after NBC released a new poster for season 13 on Instagram. In the photo, firefighters are climbing the ladder of a fire truck. Severide is in the foreground, while Kidd, Cruz, and Herrmann follow behind him, and Violet and Novak are on the ground looking up at them. With Severide at the front of the season 13 poster, he’s the main focus. So, it’s safe to assume that Severide will not only be around, but he’ll be a main character in Chicago Fire season 13. When Chicago Fire season 13 premieres, everyone can rest assured that Severide will be around. It wouldn’t make sense to focus on Kinney’s character if he were to leave. Plus, the Chicago Fire season 12 finale sets up a lot of storylines for Severide.
As seen in NBC’s sneak peek for upcoming seasons of the One Chicago TV show, Severide will appear to be at odds with the new leader, Dom Pascal, when Chicago Fire season 13 premieres. The video shows Pascal talking to Firehouse 51 about the many changes he’ll be enacting under his rules. Severide then explains, “There’s something about the new leader that’s a little weird,” to an unseen character. Since Severide’s reaction to Pascal is the only one highlighted in the teaser, he’ll likely be one of the characters who’s hesitant about the new leader.
