Let’s make it happen! Chicago Fire fans aren’t the only ones ready for Jesse SpencerTo return to the series, showrunner Derek HaasHe wants him back in this season.
“That would be amazing,” Haas, 51, told reporters via TVLine during the One Chicago Day press junket on Wednesday, March 30. “That would be a coup for our show if we could talk Jesse into coming back.”
The Chicago Fire creator revealed that he talked to Spencer, 43, one week prior, noting, “I’m very hopeful that that’s going to happen.”
Haas teased, “So status on that is all systems looking good.”
Spencer portrayed Captain Matthew Casey in the NBC drama series for more than nine seasons. He then left the series after season 10, Episode 5, aired October 2021.
As season 10 has continued to play out — new episodes air Wednesdays on NBC — Spencer’s character has remained part of the story line. Captain Casey’s relationship with paramedic Sylvie Brett (Kara Killmer) has been a focal point on the current season, despite Spencer’s departure as a series regular.
Haas explained on Wednesday that although he doesn’t want to “promise anything until camera are rolling,” he feels good about Spencer’s potential comeback before the end of the year.
“It is our great expectation that we will see both Casey and [his girlfriend]Brett in the [season] finale, because giant, big, exciting things are going to be happening,” the producer teased. “This will be the best finale ever, I’ll go ahead and say it.”
Haas previously hinted that a wedding between Casey’s TV BFF Lieutenant Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) and Lieutenant Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) could be the big plot twist that brings Spencer’s character back to his One Chicago family.
“I would be mortified if there was a wedding that didn’t include Casey,” Haas told VarietyIn February, he commented that he liked the way the writers had handled the long-distance relationship between Casey & Brett so far. “We thought it was realistic, especially in this day and age, that people can keep a relationship going. It’s been fun for us because we love Casey so much as writers that we want him to keep his presence.”
Spencer, on the other hand, was optimistic about his eventual return as he said goodbye in fall 2021 to his temporary home. Fire costars.
“It wraps up ten years for me. I think it was pretty organic that he’s leaving and he’s going for three years but is he? We don’t know,” the Australia native told reporters last year. “It’s been a long time coming when you know how these compadres have gone through life and death together. It’s hard to say goodbye, you know, see you soon, kind of thing. It was bittersweet but I really enjoyed it and we got some laughs out of it.”
Chicago FireAirs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on NBC ET.
