More core cast members of Chicago Fire are departing the series after Season 13 in 2025, which is expected to be devastating for fans. Chicago Fire's new season on NBC already has its fair share of character exits, most notably showcasing Monica Pascal's tragic death and Sam Carver's brief departure from the firehouse.
As one of NBC's long-running series, Chicago Fire is no stranger to characters saying goodbye to Firehouse 51 after Season 12 prominently highlighted the departure of the firehouse's beloved Chief Boden and longtime paramedic Sylvie Brett.
This season, a new report has shed some light on which firefighters will leave ahead of its much-anticipated final Season 13 episodes.
Sam Carver (Played by Jake Lockett) Is Leaving
Firehouse 51 will be one firefighter down at the end of Chicago Fire Season 13 after it was confirmed that Jake Lockett will not be returning as Sam Carver, whether it is given a Season 14 renewal or not.
Lockett has been part of Chicago Fire since Season 11. The actor's Chicago Fire exit is mainly due to budgetary reasons across Wolf Entertainment's NBC shows, with it being part of a grand plan to trim the show's budget.
Given that production is still ongoing for Chicago Fire Season 13, a proper exit for Sam Carver is poised to happen, especially after the character is prominently featured in one of the show's major storylines this season.
In the brand-new season, Carver made a game-changing move by openly addressing his alcoholism by attending a support group, with him even stepping away from Firehouse 51 for a month to resolve his issues.
After leaving the team in Season 13, Episode 13, Carver returned in Episode 18 to help Firehouse 51 deal with a dangerous house fire (which coincidentally is the same installment where Chief Boden also made a comeback).
Aside from resolving his alcohol issue, Carver also needs to address his on-again/off-again relationship storyline with Violet Mikami before his departure, considering Episode 19 teased that they could be romantically involved once again.
Darren Ritter (Played by Daniel Kyri) Is Also Exiting
In the same report from Deadline, another surprising exit in Chicago Fire Season 13 is confirmed to be Daniel Kyri's Darren Ritter. The actor has been with the series since Season 7.
In the new season, Ritter has had some meaty storylines, such as being badly injured at one point and breaking up with his Chicago PD officer boyfriend Dwayne Morris.
It is unknown how Chicago Fire will move on from Ritter, but the fact that the character is beloved among his peers at Firehouse 51 suggests that his exit will hit hard for the team.
Is Taylor Kinney Leaving Chicago Fire in 2025?
Taylor Kinney has been a mainstay of the cast of Chicago Fire ever since its debut on NBC, with him having played Lieutenant Kelly Severide of Firehouse 51.
Throughout his 13-season stint, Kinney has had several breaks from the series, and he even embraced the danger at various points of his tenure to save as many lives as possible.
Many would agree that Kinney's Severide serves as the lifeblood of Chicago Fire, and it is unlikely that he is leaving the NBC series anytime soon.
In fact, Severide and his wife, Stella Kidd, are in the midst of a juicy storyline where they are in the process of adopting a kid to start their own family.
Is Kidd Leaving Chicago Fire?
Another main cast member of Chicago Fire is Miranda Mae Rayo's Stella Kidd (Kelly Severide's wife and a fellow Lieutenant at Firehouse 51).
Despite the fact that Kidd has several exit scares and absences in Chicago Fire Season 13 (with the most prominent one coming off the three-part crossover of Dick Wolf's One Chicago series), it is also unlikely for the character to leave the show, mainly because Kidd and Severide's relationship serve as one of the main stories that make fans hooked from the start.
Is Cruz Leaving Chicago Fire In Season 13?
Joe Minoso's Cruz is another one of the original cast members who has been with Chicago Fire ever since its debut on NBC.
At one point in Chicago Fire Season 13, Cruz had a significant storyline involving a guy named Junior, who served as a witness to what he did in Season 1 when he left Flaco Rodriguez (a gang leader who was causing trouble to his family) to die in a house fire.
His run-in with Junior caused Cruz to make some shaky decisions that ultimately ended with Junior's death. Cruz's actions caught the ire of Chief Pascal, and he ended up getting suspended for two weeks (which caused him to miss the three-part One Chicago crossover event).
Chicago Fire Season 13's latest episode (Episode 19) saw Cruz still being a valued member of Firehouse 51, and it appears that he will not be leaving anytime soon.
