Fans are celebrating Nick Gehlfuss’ return as Halstead following his 2023 departure, teased with a heartwarming set snapshot.

Chicago Med fan favorite Nick Gehlfuss is back at Gaffney, and he’s looking clean-shaven and happier than ever to reunite with his One Chicago colleagues.

Chihards got their first teaser of Dr. Will Halstead’s upcoming guest appearance thanks to a September 17 Instagram photo posted by Luke Mitchell, A.K.A. Dr. Mitch Ripley on the NBC medical drama. Mitchell shared a joyful snapshot of himself, Gehlfuss, and co-star Steven Weber (Dr. Dean Archer) in a large group hug, all grinning ear to ear while kicking it in the Emergency Department. Look at that Gaffney dream team!

The image instantly had One Chicago fans buzzing as it dawned on viewers that Gehlfuss’s pop-in confirmed Halstead’s Windy City reprise in the upcoming Season 11 of Chicago Med.

“2 weeks… #ChicagoMed #Season11,” Mitchell captioned the heartwarming post, which soon garnered hundreds of likes and comments, many mentioning Gehlfuss’ triumphant return to the One Chicago franchise.

“CANNOT WAIT. MY WILL,” one fan commented, while another wrote, “WILL IS BACK?!? OMG.” Some of Mitchell’s followers were in delightful disbelief as they posted, “WAIT WAIT WILL IS BACK???”

Alas, the proof is in the Instagram post: Halstead is so back.

Fans are so pumped to see Dr. Halstead return to Chicago Med

For eight seasons, Gehlfuss anchored Chicago Med as Dr. Halstead, stealing hearts as the Gaffney renegade who never failed to go above and beyond. Gelfuss’ 2023 departure at the end of Season 8 — when Halstead resigned and moved to Seattle to reunite with soul mate Dr. Natalie Manning (Torrey DeVito) — was designed to leave the door open for future guest appearances from Gehlfuss.

Gehlfuss revealed he was open to returning to the Med universe in a 2023 interview with Variety. “We were all in agreement on, thankfully, as I talked with [series creator]. Dick [Wolf] and the writers,” Gehlfuss said. “Whenever it makes sense again for important moments, I’d love to don the white lab coat once again.”

Now that the door has swung back open, the sneak peek into Halstead’s fresh-faced look could hint at a new chapter for him and Natalie. For longtime fans, the behind-the-scenes photo was a cherished signal that a Gaffney O.G. is stepping back into the action, and we can’t wait to see how Halstead’s visit to Gaffney’s E.D. unfolds.

Watch the Season 11 premiere of Chicago Med on Wednesday, October 1, at 8/7c on NBC, and stream new Season 11 episodes on Peacock.