Fans don't know where Eamonn Walker's Chief Wallace Boden is as of Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 3.
Chicago Fire returned for a new season on Wednesday, September 25, but unlike the premieres of the past 12 seasons, Eamonn Walker's Wallace Boden wasn't seen in Firehouse 51.
Instead, a new character named Dom Pascal (played by Dermot Mulroney) was sitting in Boden's seat as the firehouse chief, which many fans weren't fond of.
What Happened to Boden on Chicago Fire?
Eamonn Walker portrayed Wallace Boden for 12 seasons of Chicago Fire and was undisputedly one of the biggest main actors and characters in the series.
However, at the end of Season 12, specifically in the finale, Walker's character decided to leave Firehouse 51 to pursue other career opportunities.
In Season 12, the Chicago Fire Department was in need of a new Deputy Commissioner. Because of his tenure, Chief Boden was a candidate to take over, but his dedication to Firehouse 51 caused him to be reluctant to take the position.
However, when he learned that Paramedic Chief Robinson was planning to take over as Deputy Commissioner and completely change the landscape of the Chicago Fire Department for the worse, Boden stepped up and accepted the role himself.
This obviously meant that he left Firehouse 51, which subsequently led to him not being able to appear in Chicago Fire as much moving forward.
This meant that the huge cast of actors for Chicago Fire Season 13 would not include Walker.
Replacing Boden on-screen as the chief of Firehouse 51 was Dom Pascal, who, as of Season 13, Episode 3, has not seen eye to eye with his firefighters or the fans.
Why Did Boden Leave the Show?
Whenever someone leaves a show or is downgraded in their role, many fans automatically question what occurred behind the scenes to make the actor step down from their role.
This was the case for Walker as well, especially since he had been such a vital cast member for so long.
According to a report from Deadline, Walker's decision to step away from the show was not due to any ill will between him and the cast and crew, or between him and the network.
Instead, Walker just decided to step back, but fans don't need to worry. The character was not killed off and didn't move to another state or city far away.
Since he is still a part of the Chicago Fire Department and is in an even higher role overall in-universe, he is still expected to make sporadic appearances, he will just not be featured nearly as much.
So, while Walker and his character did technically leave the show, fans will still be able to see and catch up with Boden on occasion when he pops up every now and then.
Chief Boden is not the only character who fans are worried about, as some other mainstays appear to be in jeopardy of leaving Chicago Fire as well.
New episodes of Chicago Fire premiere every Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET and are available to stream on Peacock the following day.
