Dr. Daniel Charles, who is portrayed by Oliver Platt, has been a staple on Chicago Med since the very beginning.
The beloved character has been the Chief of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health for years, but the emotional weight from the job seems to be taking a serious toll on him. In the midseason 11 premiere, Charles even suffered a panic attack after a particularly stressful case.
While neither Platt nor NBC have announced any sort of departure, some viewers have been wondering whether or not Charles may have plans for retirement from Gaffney Chicago Medical Center in his future.
Platt is one of the only actors who has remained on the medical drama over the last decade in addition to S. Epatha Merkerson, who portrays Sharon Goodwin. Meanwhile, Marlyne Barrett, who plays Maggie Lockwood, was the most recent star to step back prior to season 11.
Here’s everything to know about Dr. Daniel Charles’ future on Chicago Med.
As of the season 11 midseason, neither Platt nor NBC have announced that Dr. Charles will be retiring from Gaffney Chicago Medical. However, showrunner Allen MacDonald teased to TV Line in December 2025 that Charles is eying the idea.
“It’s a possibility that he considers,” MacDonald shared.
Why would Dr. Charles leave Chicago Med?
One of the main storylines in season 11 of Chicago Med is Charles’ own mental health and reeling with the difficult decisions he makes as the Chief of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health.
Earlier on in the season, Charles celebrated his 65th birthday, and some of his friends even bought him a set of golf clubs in hopes of encouraging him to retire. Charles seemed upset by the message and expressed determination to not let his age get in the way of his career.
However, the effects of his job took a serious toll on his mental health during a particularly difficult decision he made in the midseason premiere. During the Jan. 7 episode, Charles had to rule on whether or not a patient should be eligible to receive a heart transplant after learning that she attempted suicide while waiting for the procedure.
Charles ultimately chose to deny the patient the transplant, and he began to question both his decision and his mental health. Charles then saw his therapist and spoke about the possibility of retirement.
“I think about it all the time. I don’t know if I have it in me anymore,” Dr. Charles confessed. “Everything just seems to be getting so much — I don’t know if it’s me who’s changing or the patients — but on days like yesterday, man, I don’t know how much gas I have left in the tank.”
Charles continued to struggle and got into an argument with the transplant surgeon, Dr. Justin Morris (Lee Jones), which resulted in him having a full-body panic attack. “I think there’s something really wrong with me, and I don’t know what it is,” he said through tears. “I’m scared.”
MacDonald previously teased that retirement is something Charles is “considering,” although viewers will have to wait and see what he ultimately decides.
“We’ve really been doing a slow burn on Dr. Charles’ arc,” MacDonald explained to TV Line. “He’s been having some issues with his antidepressants, and he’s been struggling a little bit with his moods and not feeling as physically well as he has in the past. Those issues will come to a head later in the season.”
