Chicago Fire Season 15's Soft Reboot Doesn't Solve Its NBC Problem

Published Sep 11, 2026, 6:31 PM EDT Laura Hurley has been writing about the entertainment industry for more than twelve years, after a decade as a content producer and editor at CinemaBlend after writing for WhatCulture and Examiner. Attending events like SCAD TVfest and San Diego Comic-Con over the course of her career, she has been immersed in the world of network, streaming, and cable TV. Chicago Fire is one of NBC's longest-running TV shows, with season 15 set to premiere in October. That's not to say that every season has delivered the same kinds of thrills, chills, and plot twists, however. The original One Chicago drama is unique for holding on to many cast members and producers from the very beginning, but a soft reboot is on the way due to some big departures. That may not be enough to fix Fire's shortcomings from season 14. While season 14 may not have been the strongest season in the history of Chicago Fire, it ended on a strong note thanks to the One Chicago cliffhanger that could kill off multiple characters. The show doesn't usually start out a season by killing off any key characters, but that could change this fall due to a big change behind the scenes. A new showrunner is on board to resolve that cliffhanger. Whatever happens when Chicago Fire returns as part of NBC's complete 2026 fall schedule in October, one thing is guaranteed: the drama is going to hit a major milestone. A grand total of 295 episodes aired by the time the season 14 finale premiered back in the spring, so Chicago Fire season 15 will presumably hit the 300-episode milestone in November. Fire usually goes big for the milestone episodes, so fans will likely see another particularly intense episode not too long after the premiere. It remains to be see if Joe Mińoso will still be part of the cast when episode 300 debuts as Joe Cruz, but it's a safe bet that Dermot Mulroney will already be finished as Chief Pascal. Chicago Fire Season 15 Will Serve As A Soft Reboot Credit: MovieStillsDB The biggest change for season 15 took place behind the scenes. Showrunner Andrea Newman exited the One Chicago first responder drama. Newman had been the showrunner for the past three seasons of Fire, and was a writer on all 14 seasons to that point. Victor Teran is her replacement for the new season. While he's not entirely a newcomer to Chicago Fire, Teran has only been part of the show as a writer, producer, and story editor since season 10. He doesn't have nearly as much history with One Chicago as Newman, although it is worth noting that he wrote the Chicago Fire leg of the franchise's three-part crossover event in early 2026. He also wrote the penultimate episode of season 14. Suffice it to say that even though Teran wasn't part of golden early years, he has plenty of experience with the most recent seasons. Fans will have to wait until the season 15 premiere on Wednesday, October 7 on NBC to see the first episode under Teran's leadership, and discover whether his style is noticeably different from Newman's. For better or worse, a soft reboot of Chicago Fire is happening in just a matter of weeks. Chicago Fire's Rotating Cast Proves It Doesn't Understand Why It's Failing Peter Gordon/NBC Even though Chicago Fire has held on to actors like Taylor Kinney, David Eigenberg, and Christian Stolte from the very beginning, the total number of original series stars has been dwindling over the years. Yet another longtime star is leaving within the first few episodes of season 15, thanks to the exit of Joe Mińoso as Squad 3 firefighter Cruz. Dermot Mulroney, who came in to fill the void left by Eamonn Walker's Wallace Boden in season 13, will only be back for a single episode of the new season. If Chicago Fire losing stars between seasons was a rare occurence, the departures of Mińoso and Mulroney wouldn't seem too alarming. Instead, the two actors are the latest in a trend of Fire writing out main characters without much explanation. Daniel Kyri as Ritter and Jake Lockett as Carver were unceremoniously cut from the show, and they were only brought back as guest stars to wrap up their arcs. Michael Bradway, who played Severide-s surprise half-brother, seemed like he was going to stick around for the long run, before he too was cut. It wasn't even that long ago that Fire lost Kara Killmer's Brett and Alberto Rosende's Gallo. Meanwhile, a new firefighter is coming on board at Firehouse 51. BMF star Da’Vinchi is coming on board in season 15 to play Marcus Burke, and Matthew Daddario will play a firefighter candidate at 51. Instead of focusing on the fan-favorite characters who have been around for many years, Chicago Fire continues to expand the cast with newcomers. Viewers have no reason to be attached to either of the new characters, whereas characters like Severide and Kidd regularly feel like they deserve more screentime. Chicago Fire will just continue to lose momentum for NBC for as long as newcomers keep intruding on Firehouse 51, at the expense of longtime stars and their beloved characters. The show could benefit from following the Chicago P.D. model of a relatively small team of cops who stick around for the long run. Admittedly, Chicago Fire's format does require a fairly large cast to work, but the rotating cast makes it hard to get invested in new characters. Release Date October 10, 2012 Network NBC Showrunner Andrea Newman Cast Taylor Kinney Kelly Severide David Eigenberg Christopher Herrmann Directors Michael Brandt Writers Michael Brandt Creator(s) Michael Brandt, Derek Haas