These three members of Chicago’s most skilled medical team aren’t stepping away from their duties any time soon. As long-running NBC drama Chicago Med approaches an anticipated Season 10, original cast members S. Epatha Merkerson, Oliver Platt, and Marlyne Barrett have all officially extended their contracts with the series, confirming the return of all of their characters. While all three actors’ contracts were due to expire at the end of last season, this new update indicates that they will be remaining onboard the medical drama for the foreseeable future.
This announcement follows a multitude of changes for the Chicago Med cast and crew, which includes the departure of series regular Dominic Rains as well as the installation of new showrunner Allen MacDonald. MacDonald will serve as the replacement for Diane Frolov and Andy Schneider, both of whom had been at the Chicago Med helm since its origin in 2015. With Season 10 not due to air until fall of 2024, fans will have to wait to see if MacDonald will take the show in any new directions.
Merkerson currently portrays Sharon Goodwin, a previous OR nurse and the current chief administrator of Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. Platt and Barrett respectively play Dr. Daniel Charles, chief of the center’s psychiatry department, and Maggie Lockwood, the charge nurse of the center’s Emergency Department. While fans of these characters will again have to wait for any details on their potential future arcs until Season 10, they can be reassured by one thing: their favorites certainly don’t seem to be going anywhere.
What Will Happen in ‘Chicago Med’ Season 10?
The NBC series left Season 9 on an uncertain note when it aired its finale last May. While the emotional core of the episode was undoubtedly when Dr. Crockett Marcel (Dominic Rains) uncovered some horrific news involving one of his previous patients, Rains’ exit from the series leaves the resolution of this plot line uncertain.
Season 10 will presumably continue to deal with the fallout of Sharon Goodwin’s ex-husband’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, as well as with Maggie Lockwood’s divorce from Ben Campbell. While cast and crew shakeups have perhaps left the future of Chicago Med a little more obscure than usual, it seems fairly certain that the characters on this popular drama will continue doing what they do best — serving the city of Chicago, one patient at a time.
Chicago Med Season 10 will premiere in the fall of 2024 in its 8/7c time slot on NBC. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates on Chicago Med and any other medical drama casting news.
