Kelly Severide’s leave of absence is over.
Deadline reports that the first batch of scripts for Chicago Fire Season 12 includes Taylor Kinney’s fan-favorite character.
The news comes nine months after the actor took a leave of absence from the NBC procedural as he dealt with a personal matter.
There were rumors that Severide would resurface at the close of Chicago Fire Season 11, but when that didn’t happen, there was speculation the actor could be done with the series.
The series has lost countless stars over the years, but Kinney has been front and center since the series’ 2012 premiere.
His last appearance on-screen was on Chicago Fire Season 11 Episode 14, which aired on February 22, 2023.
Chicago Fire Season 11 Episode 15 revealed that Severide has gone to Alabama for an arson investigation training program.
Related: Chicago Fire Season 12: Everything We Know
Severide’s wife, Stella, grew suspicious when she subsequently went to find him after being given broken answers about when he would return home.
There’s a good chance those early episodes of Chicago Fire Season 12 will address what happened, including whether Severide returns to Chicago.
They have to, right? If the series returns with Severide back in his rightful place with unanswered questions, fans would be both excited and a little miffed.
There’s also no indication of how long Kinney will be back on the show.
There is a chance that he won’t be a series regular for the next season.
As a result, we won’t know until NBC or Kinney confirms his status.
Related: Chicago PD Season 11: Everything We Know
Chicago Fire has had a revolving door of cast members, with most of its original cast leaving over the years.
Jesse Spencer returned as Matt Casey while Kinney was off-screen, and there’s a high chance he’ll be back in some capacity, given Casey’s question for Brett.
Then again, maybe we’ll get another spinoff, this time featuring Brettsey in a new location.
That could be fun.
While the writers are back at work following the WGA strike’s resolution, SAG-AFTRA remains at an impasse with the AMPTP.
The two sides are back in negotiations, but until there’s a deal that benefits the actors for their contributions, the strike will continue.
That means we shouldn’t expect Chicago Fire Season 12 in the near future.
Typically, the series returns in September, but with no episodes in the can, we have to wait until some episodes are shot and edited.
There will be some changes behind the wheel of the firefighter drama, with co-showrunner/co-creator Derek Haas departing the series.
Related: Chicago Med Season 9: Everything We Know
Going forward, Andrea Newman will steer the series’ day-to-day direction.
In other OneChicago news, Tracy Spiridakos is leaving Chicago P.D. during its 11th season.
The news only broke last week, so there’s a good chance it was a creative decision and will happen early into the season.
The good news is that we will get an on-screen goodbye because shows that give long-running actors off-screen goodbyes suck.
Viewers invest a lot of time in these characters and their arcs, they deserve satisfying goodbyes.
Chicago Med did well with Nick Gehlfuss’s departure as Will Halstead by bringing back Torrey Devitto’s Natalie.
Related: Jesse Lee Soffer Reacts to Chicago PD Exit
Hopefully, Chicago PD can bring back Jesse Lee Soffer as Jay Halstead to bring Tracy’s arc to a close well.
What are your thoughts on Taylor Kinney’s return? Do you think it’ll be a short-term affair?
What are your hopes for the storyline that brings him back?
Hit the comments below.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.