Without a doubt, Will Halstead and Natalie Manning’s return to Chicago Med has significantly elevated season 11, but there was just one thing missing from it. The NBC medical drama has lost many characters over the years, like Will and Natalie. Heading into season 11, only two original cast members remain, meaning that the return of any former star is more than welcome.
Consequently, Will and Natalie appearing in Chicago Med in the year 2025 is beyond exciting. As viewers will recall, Natalie exited during the season 7 premiere. She quit her job and moved to Seattle. Meanwhile, Will left Chicago Med at the end of season 8. He resigned from his position at Gaffney and reunited with Natalie and her son, Owen, on the West Coast.
Will & Natalie Returned To Gaffney In Chicago Med Season 11
Owen Got Shot
In Chicago Med’s 200th episode (season 11, episode 2), Nick Gehlfuss resumed his role as Will, one of the NBC show’s original characters. He and Owen came to Chicago to catch a Bears game and have some bonding time before Will and Natalie’s baby son was born. As for pregnant Natalie, she stayed back in Seattle to let her boys spend time together.
Before the football game, though, Will visited his former colleagues at the hospital in the Chicago Med episode. He got sucked into a case (because, of course, he did) and stayed longer than planned. Will was also nervous about spending time with Owen alone. Unfortunately, this all led to a tragic incident that involved a woman with a gun shooting Owen.
The 200th episode ended with Owen in critical condition and Sharon Goodwin calling Natalie to inform her of the situation. Flash forward to Chicago Med season 11, episode 3, Natalie arrived in Chicago while the doctors worked on Owen. They ultimately determined that he would need a kidney transplant, and Natalie was adamant that she could give him one of hers.
However, because of Natalie’s pregnancy, many were worried about the risks of her having surgery to remove a kidney. No one could change Natalie’s mind, though. Thankfully, the procedure went smoothly, and both Natalie and Owen were alright. Will then decided he wanted to officially adopt Owen, and the young boy agreed at the end of “Horseshoes and Hand Grenades.”
The NBC Series Must Feature A Manstead Wedding
Will & Natalie Aren’t Married (Yet)
Will and Natalie (and Owen and their unborn son) all but got their happy ending in Chicago Med season 11, episode 3. Will is planning on adopting Owen, who is alive and well, and the couple has a baby on the way. However, a wedding between Will and Natalie, who fans affectionately call “Manstead,” would have made this all even better.
Sadly, there wasn’t enough time to get the fan-favorite Chicago Med couple down the aisle in episode 3. But that doesn’t mean it still can’t happen. Will and Natalie’s story needs full closure, and that is only possible if they walk off into the sunset wearing wedding rings. Of course, they could be happy without them, but based on Manstead’s history, they deserve a wedding.
Chicago Med needs to make up for Will and Natalie’s disaster of an almost-wedding in season 4. As some may remember, Will and Natalie almost got married, but the ceremony got called off when Will was forced into protective custody (which is a story for another day). They later called off their engagement altogether.
However, Will and Natalie are now back together, happy, in love, and having a baby. So, there is no better time than the present for the One Chicago TV show to give Will and Natalie the wedding that they have more than earned. The only question now is whether the stars will align for their return to Chicago Med once again.
Will Nick Gehlfuss & Torrey DeVitto Return To Chicago Med In The Future?
The Door Is Open For Their Return
While speaking with TV Insider following the premiere of Chicago Med season 11, episode 3, DeVitto reflected on reprising her role as Natalie in the NBC medical drama TV series. The actress also addressed whether she would be open to returning to Chicago Med again in the future. DeVitto said:
“Yeah, I mean, I have so much fun on that set and I do live in Michigan full time now, and so it’s like I would always be open to going back. It’s like a home away from home and having as much fun as I just did, being back now, I would always be open to coming back.”
DeVitto added that she believed Natalie’s arc ended with “a lot of open holes” the first time she left Chicago Med back in season 7. However, now she thinks her character’s story has “better closure.” Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean that DeVitto is done with Natalie and with the One Chicago universe. As the actress stated, she is open to returning to Gaffney.
As for Gehlfuss, though, the possibility of him coming back to Chicago Med is presumably less likely. He was recently cast as one of the two leads in CBS’s upcoming FBI spinoff, CIA. If Gehlfuss’ new show proves to be a success, the actor will be quite busy and less available to guest-star in Chicago Med.
At the end of the day, anything is possible. Perhaps Gehlfuss has already negotiated his return, and he and DeVitto will reprise their roles as Will and Natalie in a future episode. As of the writing of this article, though, nothing has been confirmed. A possible Manstead wedding in Chicago Med is still only a dream, but it’s not a lost cause.
Chicago Med season 11 airs on Wednesdays at 8 pm ET on NBC, followed by Chicago Fire season 14 at 9 pm ET and Chicago PD season 13 at 10 pm ET.
