Miranda Rae Mayo and Taylor Kinney are set to reprise their roles as Stella Kidd and Kelly Severide in Chicago Fire season 13, but a new video makes me believe that one of them will have a bigger role than the other. The NBC prodedural drama centers around a group of firefighters and paramedics working at Firehouse 51 in Chicago. Chicago Fire, which is going on its thirteenth season, has been so successful that it spun off three other TV shows in the One Chicago franchise. However, its longevity also means that the cast has significantly changed over the years.
The cast of Chicago Fire season 13 certainly doesn’t look the same as it did in season 1. There are still a handful of familiar faces, including Kinney as Severide, David Eigenberg as Christopher Herrmann, Christian Stolte as Randall “Mouch” McHolland, and Joe Minoso as Joe Cruz. However, most original cast members have exited the series, with the latest being Eamonn Walker’s Boden leaving after the Chicago Fire season 12 finale. As a result, the NBC procedural drama is seemingly replacing Chief Boden with someone who has been on the show for a long time.
New One Chicago Video Sets Up Kidd As The Next Face Of Chicago Fire After Boden’s Exit
Kidd Might Be Boden’s Replacement In Chicago Fire Season 13
The One Chicago Instagram page posted a clip promoting the new seasons of Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, and Chicago Med in August 2024. The short clip begins with Miranda Rae Mayo’s Stella Kidd starring at a roaring fire, and her voice narrates, “People always ask me, ‘Do you ever get scared?'” Then, Jason Beghe’s Hank Voight from Chicago PD appears and continues, “I tell ’em, ‘Yeah, all the time.'” Marlyne Barrett’s Maggie Lockwood from Chicago Med finishes the video by saying, “But I never let it stop me.”
Given that Stella was the one chosen to lead the Chicago Fire segment of the video, I believe she will be the new face of the show. Of course, Voight is the main Chicago PD cast member, and Maggie is seemingly taking over as Chicago Med’s leader after Nick Gehlfuss’ Will Halstead left the series. So, NBC has apparently declared that Stella is Chief Boden’s official replacement, but only in regard to her role on the show, not to her position in Firehouse 51. Dermot Mulroney is still replacing Boden as the chief in Chicago Fire season 13.
Kidd’s New Role In Chicago Fire Reignites Worries About Kelly Severide Leaving
Kidd’s Promotion Could Indicate Severide’s Demise
Although Miranda Rae Mayo’s Stella being the new face of Chicago Fire is exciting, it also spells trouble for Severide’s presence in the upcoming season. I have been worried about Taylor Kinney leaving Chicago Fire because of his absence from several episodes in seasons 11 and 12. By all accounts, Kinney is set to return in season 13, but the promo suggests that his role might continue to diminish when the new episodes debut in late September 2024.
Despite [Taylor] Kinney’s tenure, [Miranda Rae] Mayo has stepped up to the plate and taken charge, leading one to believe that Stella’s role in Chicago Fire is growing, and Severide’s is shrinking.
Kinney has been a part of Chicago Fire’s main cast since season 1. So, if anyone were to replace Boden as the face of the NBC procedural drama, the first choice would undoubtedly be Severide. With Jesse Spencer’s Matt Casey and Boden gone, I would assume Severide would be at the forefront of the One Chicago promo instead of Stella, but that’s not the case. Despite Kinney’s tenure, Mayo has stepped up to the plate and taken charge, leading me to believe that Stella’s role in Chicago Fire is growing, and Severide’s is shrinking.
Why Kidd Being Firehouse 51’s New Representative Is Better For One Chicago
Kidd Has Been Around Since Season 4
As mentioned above, Severide has fallen off the map in the past two seasons of Chicago Fire. Meanwhile, Stella has stepped up to the plate and been a steady presence in the NBC procedural drama. Stella has put in the work, and consequently, she deserves to be the representative of the first show in One Chicago’s shared universe. If Severide had been around more prior to Boden’s exit from Firehouse 51, it would make sense if he was the face of the show. But that wasn’t the case, and we should expect Stella to have a bigger role when Chicago Fire season 13 premieres.
