The One Chicago universe has become a revolving door of actors — and fans are still hopeful some of the past characters will make a comeback.
Dick Wolf started the Chicago-based family of shows with Chicago Fire in 2012. Two years later, Chicago P.D. gave fans an inside look at how police work in the Windy City. Chicago Med joined the group in 2015.
After more than a decade on air, each show has lost significant actors such as Jesse Spencer and Monica Raymund on Chicago Fire, Jon Seda and Sophia Bush on Chicago P.D. and Brian Tee and Colin Donnell on Chicago Med. Luckily a few of the stars are ready and willing to reprise their roles.
“It’s always with me,” Seda exclusively told Us Weekly in January 2024. “It was a great time working on Chicago shows. It was incredible, amazing cast.”
Seda, who played Antonio Dawson on P.D., gushed: “That whole universe is incredible. It was so unique.”
Scroll down to see which One Chicago stars have confirmed whether they want to return — or have no plans to come back — to the universe:
Tracy Spiridakos
Character: Hailey Upton on Chicago P.D.
When She Exited: Season 11, episode 13
Whether She’ll Return:
“I would love to reappear, that would be amazing. I love this whole group of people,” Spiridakos teased to Deadline in May 2024 of her future. “I think as far as a parting message, I would just say thank you to the fans. Thank you to the Chi-hards for welcoming me into this lovely group of people. I loved running into people in Chicago who stop and say hi and say how much they love my character and love the work that we’ve done on the show. I’m grateful to all of you.”
Kara Killmer
Character: Sylvie Brett on Chicago Fire
When She Exited: Season 12, episode 6
Whether She’ll Return:
Shortly after her March 2024 exit, Killmer told NBC Insider that she’d “absolutely” come back. “The door is wide open. Any time they wanna call, I will be there,” she said. “It is a fantastic show, great people. I will come back anytime they want.”
Nick Gehlfuss
Character: Dr. Will Halstead on Chicago Med
When He Exited: Season 8, episode 20
Whether He’ll Return:
Gehlfuss told Variety in May 2023 that the door isn’t closed for him. “We were all in agreement on that, thankfully, as I talked with Dick and the writers,” he explained. “Whenever it makes sense again for important moments, I’d love to don the white lab coat once again.”
Brian Tee
Character: Dr. Ethan Choi on Chicago Med
When He Exited: Season 8, episode 9
Whether He’ll Return:
“There’s always conversation [about] returning on screen,” Tee told TVLine in June 2024, noting that he gets to “play with all the cast and crew” when he directs for the show.
Tee said it would take the “right time or the right story line” to come along for him to jump back in front of the camera. “I think probably the hospital needs help. Some kind of tragedy is about to happen, some kind of major catastrophe drama,” he pitched as his return arc, “And maybe they bring back myself and Will Halstead [played by Nick Gehlfuss] and [Ethan’s wife] April [played by Yaya DaCosta] and bring back some of the old crew to kind of fix things to what it was.”
Jesse Lee Soffer
Character: Jay Halstead on Chicago P.D.
When He Exited: Season 10, episode 3
Whether He’ll Return:
After nine plus seasons of Chicago P.D., Soffer exited the series in 2022. He insisted during a February 2023 interview with Variety that he’s “definitely not” opposed to reprising the role. “Never say never. I feel so bad for the fans that are like, ‘Is he going to come back?’” Soffer confessed. “‘What’s he going to do?’ ‘What’s going on with him and Hailey?’” The actor explained that he likes to think that his character is “just in another country right now.” Soffer continued, “I still love it. I still love the fans. And I still love Halstead. Halstead’s always going to be in my blood. That’s never going to change.”
Soffer has since returned to P.D. as a director for an episode in both season 10 and season 11.
Jesse Spencer
Character: Matt Casey on Chicago Fire
When He Exited: Season 10, episode 6
Whether He’ll Return:
When original Chicago Fire star walked away from the show mid-way through season 10, he revealed it wasn’t the last of his character. “My home here with my wife [Kali Woodruff Carr] is in Chicago, and I’m still going to be here, I’m just stepping back for right now,” he said in an October 2021 statement. “I’m stepping away but I’ll be back.”
Spencer returned for the season 10 finale and made a cameo in two season 11 episodes. His character married Sylvie Brett (Kara Killmer) during season 12, episode 6, in 2024.
Yaya DaCosta
Character: April Sexton on Chicago Med
When She Exited: Season 6, Episode 16
Whether She’ll Return:
DaCosta reprised her role as April during three episodes of season 8 of Chicago Med after exiting the show after season 6. After her character married Ethan (Brian Tee), DaCosta told TV Insider that she wouldn’t be back in a full-time capacity unless April was a doctor.
“I always thought April was going to finish her schooling and become a doctor. … I think the idea was always that we would kind of tap into some woman’s empowerment and now that he was all set, go back to her fulfilling her dream, and I guess just as time went on, everyone was comfortable seeing her as a nurse,” DaCosta explained in July 2023. “The way that she was in the hospital, the way that she interacted with the patients, the wisdom that she brought to the cases, the way that the doctors could trust her to just finish their sentences and start doing what was needed before they’re even asked, I think that kind of gave her a lot of credibility and expectation that she would be a doctor. So if ever in this or any other dimension, April Sexton were to return to screen, it would have to be as a doctor. “
