A Chicago Fire star may have left the series at the end of Season 13, but they’re preparing to come back in a smaller role in upcoming episodes. The actor recently shared a behind-the-scenes look from the set announcing their return.
TVLine reports that Daniel Kyri, who left Chicago Fire as a series regular alongside Jake Lockett at the end of Season 13, will be returning. A post on the actor’s Instagram story showed him on the set with Jocelyn Hudon (Lizzie Novak) and Hanako Greensmith (Violet Mimaki). “Back! For a limited time only,” Kyri wrote on the picture.
Kyri joined the cast of Chicago Fire as firefighter candidate Darren Ritter from Engine 51 in 2018. He had a recurring role in Seasons 7 and 8, going on to become a main cast member for Seasons 9-13. His character Ritter joined the firefighting crew as a replacement after Barns was fired for disrespect and was openly gay, dating Officer Dwayne Monroe in Season 12.
Although Kyri won’t be returning as a main cast member, the series didn’t formally write him out at the end of Season 13, setting up several opportunities for him to return. Chicago Fire showrunner Andrea Newman talked about Kyri’s departure, hinting at his possible return. “We’re going to play with all this and see what we get and how much time we get with Daniel, who we love, and the character, who we love,” she revealed.
The latest season of Chicago Fire aired its finale episode in May, hinting at upcoming layoffs for the fire department, which will likely be the explanation for why certain characters aren’t returning. “[It] wasn’t even done intentionally for that, but because it’s so in the zeitgeist, people coming in and gutting departments and gutting places, it’s very real to the CFD,” Newman added.
Chicago Fire Showrunner Teases Season 14 Shake-Ups
In May, Chicago Fire and other One Chicago Universe series were given the green light for new seasons by NBC. But they came with a pretty big catch: budget cuts. It was reported that cast members were expected to forego annual raises and that the upcoming seasons would have shorter episode counts. Newman revealed how Season 14 of Chicago Fire is shaping up in light of these upcoming changes.
“We’re going to have a lot of turnover,” she shared. “And a lot craziness going on in the CFD from the top, where people are being cut and moved, and everything’s going to get shaken up next season.” Exactly how big Ritter’s return in Season 14 will be, or if any other former cast members will make a comeback, has not been revealed at this time.
