Big Chicago Fire cast changes are coming to Firehouse 51. The NBC drama returns for its 15th season on Wednesday, October 7, saying goodbye to two familiar faces. Meanwhile, it is welcoming fresh ones and handing the reins to a new showrunner. So if the season 14 cliffhanger was dramatic, the behind-the-scenes shake-up might be even bigger.
Season 15 premieres at 9 p.m. ET/PT with the episode “New Blood.” Episodes will stream the next day on Peacock, and the season will run for 21 episodes. Here is every exit, every arrival, and what it all means for the show.
Chicago Fire Cast Changes: Dermot Mulroney Exits After the Season 15 Premiere
However, the most immediate departure belongs to Dermot Mulroney. The My Best Friend’s Wedding star joined Chicago Fire in 2024 as Chief Dom Pascal, becoming a series regular in season 13 after Boden’s departure. Now, after just two seasons, his run is over — Mulroney will appear only in the season 15 premiere to wrap up Pascal’s storyline.
Speaking at Flashback Weekend in Chicago this summer, Mulroney called the exit “bittersweet,” Showbiz Cheat Sheet reports. He said he had loved every minute on the show. He had also become close friends with the crew, some of whom have been there 15 years.
“[I hear] how much these — all three shows — mean to those people, to their families,” he said. “It’s bitter to have to leave that.”
Joe Miñoso Says Goodbye to Joe Cruz After 14 Years
However, the harder goodbye, at least for longtime fans, is Joe Miñoso. He has played firefighter Joe Cruz since the 2012 pilot, rising from guest star to series regular in season 2. Today he is one of only four remaining original cast members, alongside Taylor Kinney, David Eigenberg, and Christian Stolte.
According to Deadline, Miñoso will appear in a handful of early season 15 episodes so the writers can give Cruz a proper sendoff. However, no official reason for the exit has been shared. Meanwhile, co-star Brandon Larracuente told TV Insider that Cruz is getting a real “farewell tour.”
“[That goodbye] was difficult,” said Larracuente, who plays Sal Vasquez. “There is a definite void that I think Joe’s character is going to leave in the firehouse.” He also praised Miñoso for opening doors for other Latino actors in the One Chicago universe, and he hopes Miñoso returns someday as a director. The timing is emotional for another reason too: at the end of season 14, Cruz and his wife learned they are expecting twins.
New Faces Joining Firehouse 51 in Season 15
Meanwhile, NBC is not leaving the firehouse short-staffed. BMF star Da’Vinchi joins as firefighter Marcus Burke, a new series regular confirmed in July. In addition, Shadowhunters actor Matthew Daddario has been cast in a recurring role as a new firefighting candidate, according to Radio Times.
The returning core also stays strong. Taylor Kinney is back as Captain Kelly Severide, and Miranda Rae Mayo returns as Lieutenant Stella Kidd. David Eigenberg and Christian Stolte return as well, along with Hanako Greensmith, Jocelyn Hudon, and Larracuente. Two doors are closing, but the heart of Firehouse 51 is still beating.
A New Showrunner Takes the Helm
The Chicago Fire cast changes go beyond the actors. Showrunner Andrea Newman departed in April after 14 years with the franchise. She joined shortly after the pilot as a co-executive producer, becoming the sole showrunner in 2023. Now co-executive producer Victor Teran has taken over, with Dick Wolf remaining as executive producer.
“After 14 years, you really do become a family,” Newman said in her farewell statement. As a result, season 15 is the first chapter of Chicago Fire without her guiding voice — a changing of the guard, on screen and behind the camera.
What to Expect From the Chicago Fire Season 15 Premiere
The premiere has a lot of ground to cover. Season 14 ended on a brutal cliffhanger: the crew rushed into a burning storage facility, viewers heard a loud explosion, and the screen cut to black. As a result, the fate of several main characters is still unknown.
That cliffhanger will directly shape at least one exit. Larracuente teased that Pascal’s departure is tied to the final scene: “A lot of it [is] contingent on what happens in the cliffhanger,” he told TV Insider. So the fire’s resolution could explain why Chief Pascal is gone by episode 2.
Miñoso’s farewell, on the other hand, will play out over several episodes. Fans will finally learn how Cruz’s story ends, and whether fatherhood and those incoming twins pull him away from the firehouse for good. You can follow the full season 15 episode and casting breakdown on the season’s Wikipedia page.
Where to Watch Chicago Fire Season 15
Season 15 premieres Wednesday, October 7 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC, streaming next day on Peacock. For more TV coverage, see our guide to when Big Brother season 27 premieres and the Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story cast on Netflix. You will also enjoy our 365 Days cast: where are they now update.
Between the departures, the new arrivals, and a new showrunner, season 15 could be the most different Chicago Fire has ever looked. Finally, which cast change will you miss the most — Chief Pascal, Joe Cruz, or the Newman era? Let us know in the comments.
