Chicago Med's Season 11 premiere confirmed Maggie Lockwood's replacement, and it's not who you expect. One Chicago's long-running medical drama on NBC has seen its fair share of original cast members come and go during its ten-season run, with mainstays like Nick Gehlfuss' Will Halstead and Brian Tee's Ethan Choi exiting the show in previous seasons. While Chicago Med Season 10 had several exit scares throughout its 22-episode run, no one had an on-screen exit apart from Dominic Rains' Dr. Crockett Marcel's off-screen departure in the premiere.
Ahead of Chicago Med's highly anticipated Season 11, Deadline reported that Marlyne Barrett is stepping back from the One Chicago series as head ER nurse Maggie Lockwood for personal reasons, but the outlet claimed that her departure is seen as a "temporary leave." Barrett's exit came as a surprise to many fans, considering that she has been with the series since the show's premiere in 2015. Chicago Med Season 11's first episode provided fans with a brief explanation of why Maggie is gone from Gaffney while also confirming her replacement as the head nurse of the Emergency Department.
At the top of the hour, Chicago Med Season 11, Episode 1 showed Sharon Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson) and Dr. Daniel Charles' (Oliver Platt) conversation about Maggie's exit from Gaffney. Charles asked Goodwin if she had talked to Maggie after she left, but she told him she didn't hear anything from her.
The main medical case of the episode revolved around a family of victims being rushed to Gaffney due to a house fire, and it saw one nurse who stepped up amid Maggie's absence. Chicago Med confirmed that longtime nurse Doris Perez (Lorena Diaz) is now Maggie's replacement as the Head Nurse of the Emergency Department (ED).
Goodwin confirmed Doris' new title when she commended her "outstanding" job in ensuring Gaffney's ED is not overwhelmed by the arriving patients:
Sharon Goodwin: "Outstanding job today, Doris. Maggie had some big shoes to fill. She'd be proud of you."
Doris Perez: "Just keeping them warm 'til she gets back."
Doris had a successful first on-screen run as the Emergency Department's head nurse, keeping things calm and professional despite the wave of patients that consistently arrive. While it remains to be seen if Maggie will return at some point in the future, Gaffney is in good hands with Doris steering the ship.
Doris made her first-ever appearance in Chicago Med in Season 4, and she remained a consistent part of the show every season. Last season, Doris played a crucial role in the nurse union storyline alongside Maggie when they pushed back against the doctors due to unfair pay and working hours.
Created by Dick Wolf, Chicago Med features an elite cast of small-screen actors, headlined by Jessy Schram, Luke Mitchell, S. Epatha Merkerson, Oliver Platt, Sarah Ramos, and Darren Barnet. Chicago Med Season 11 premiered on NBC on October 1, 2025.
Will Maggie Ever Return to Chicago Med?
At this stage, it remains to be seen if Marlyne Barrett will ever return to Chicago Med, but there is hope that Maggie will have a comeback at some point, especially after the episode hinted that she is not gone for good.
Although Chicago Med Season 11's premiere didn't thoroughly explain why Maggie left, Season 10 provided a strong hint at why Maggie had to leave (outside of Barrett's reported real-life reason for departure). In the latter part of Season 10, the nurses of Gaffney Medical had tense negotiations between them and the hospital over unfair working conditions.
After the conflict escalated, a confrontation between Maggie and Goodwin happened, leading to a falling out for both of them. It even came to a point that the nurses had to fake a sickness to make a point, but Gaffney pushed back by hiring replacement workers instead.
It's possible that the stress and the downfall of her friendship with Goodwin took a toll on her, which could have led to her tendering her resignation or a leave of absence from Gaffney. Hope remains that Maggie will eventually come back in the future, mainly because she is the glue that keeps everyone in Gaffney together.
