I’m surprised but excited for the newcomer’s character!
Chicago Fire has already gone through many changes in Season 14, and there’s still nearly half of the season left to go in the 2026 TV schedule. After Firehouse 51 lost both Carver and Ritter from the ranks of first responders, Mouch was then cut from the crew and transferred to another house. Stella’s break was fortunately short, but Dermot Mulroney is on his way out as Chief Pascal. I wasn’t too surprised by the news in light of recent developments for Severide, but One Chicago is adding a new character played by somebody Stranger Things fans will recognize.
Pascal’s last episode for the foreseeable future will be Episode 14, according to Deadline, which at least indicates that he’ll be in the mix for the crossover event involving a passenger jet in early March. Due to NBC’s upcoming One Chicago break while the 2026 Winter Olympics take over much of primetime in February, that means Pascal will make it into March, but his future any further down the line is uncertain. The break will reportedly last until the end of Season 14, with the possibility of him returning before the final credits roll on the season.
While Chicago Fire cast members have skipped episodes here and there in recent seasons, this seems to be a much more substantial separation for Dermot Mulroney as Chief Pascal. The hiatus is said to be part of the character’s story, so fans likely don’t have to worry that Pascal will abruptly be gone with no explanation starting in Episode 15. (His replacement will arrive in the sixteenth episode.)
I wasn’t shocked when I first saw the news of Mulroney being written out of Fire for at least a little bit, since it seemed like a development in service of Severide taking more of an administrative leadership role, which could have been good for him in light of the emotional breakthrough with Stella. As it turns out, however, Pascal isn’t going to be MIA so that Severide can step up in his absence, because Chicago Fire cast a Stranger Things star to fill that hole at 51 rather than going a more expected route with the Squad lieutenant.
Rob Morgan has accumulated so many credits over the years of his career that you’d likely recognize his face as Battalion Chief Hopkins in Chicago Fire even if you didn’t know his name. My personal favorite one of his roles in recent years was as Officer-turned-Chief Powell on Stranger Things. His character’s fate on the Netflix juggernaut was unknown as of the end of Season 5, with somebody else taking on the job of Police Chief in Hawkins, but fans will soon get to see the actor play another kind of first responder.
Per the outlet, Morgan will recur as Battalion Chief Hopkins, who comes to 51 with a haunted past from overseeing a number of other firehouses in the Windy City. He’s not one to waste time in asserting his authority, which may not make him the most welcome addition to the firehouse family.
I’d love if this is used as an excuse to bring Boden back briefly to shed some light on Hopkins, or maybe for Mouch to turn up with any details about Hopkins that he learned through the grapevine at his new house. That said, Rob Morgan’s arrival in Episode 16 comes with only five episodes left in the season, so he won’t have much time at 51. He’ll appear in four, including the Season 14 finale.
Fans have plenty of time to theorize, with Episode 16 presumably not airing until mid-to-late March. In the meantime, you can always revisit some of Chief Pascal’s highlights opposite Severide with earlier episodes of Chicago Fire available streaming with a Peacock subscription. There are also still a couple of weeks left before the Olympics, so keep tuning in to NBC on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET for the latest from Firehouse 51, between Chicago Med at 8 p.m. ET and Chicago P.D. at 10 p.m. ET.
