Chicago Fire season 13: Release date and latest news

Following a tragic loss for new fire chief Dom Pascal (Dermot Mulroney), there's a lot to anticipate in the new episodes, not least his search for justice.

Speaking about being a newcomer on the show and being dished quite the heavy storyline, Mulroney told TVLine: "Well, it’s really been tough, difficult acting, just quite frankly. Of course, that’s what I was hoping for. But man, they didn’t pull any punches, did they? So the viewer will go through the grieving process with Pascal, and it’s really bumpy, to be quite honest."

He continued: "So some of the episodes upcoming, you’ll see him make some tough choices, not all of them the best, and really has trouble controlling his emotions. Those are really challenging episodes."

The new batch of episodes will also see the return of Eamonn Walker's Wallace Boden, who was the former Fire Chief but has since taken up his new role as First Deputy Commissioner of the Chicago Fire Department.

On the announcement of Boden's return, showrunner Andrea Newman said in a statement: “We’re so excited to have our beloved Chief Boden back, and the episode, titled Post-Mortem, is a thrill ride unlike any we’ve done before. Told with flashbacks and unique POVs, Chief Boden leads our team on a search to discover the how, who, and why of a fierce firefight that ended in disaster."

But when is season 13 returning and when will the season be available to watch in the UK? Well, read on to find out more about Chicago Fire season 13.

Chicago Fire season 13 release date

Chicago Fire season 13 initially premiered in the US on Wednesday 25th September 2024 on NBC and went on a mid-season break, with the season returning for the latter half of season 13 on Wednesday 8th January 2025.

New episodes resume on Wednesday 26th March on NBC and it will hold that Wednesday night slot with Chicago Med season 10 and Chicago PD season 12.

As for a UK release date, there isn't one just yet but we'd expect it to follow suit like its previous season and be released a few months after the US, available to watch on Sky Witness and NOW.

Chicago Fire season 13 cast

There's one major noticeable difference this season as Eamonn Walker has stepped down from his series regular duties as fire station boss Wallace Boden.

Walker has been a mainstay on the series for all 12 seasons so far but as he's become the new Deputy Commissioner, we did expect him to return in a recurring role in the future – and it's now been confirmed that he will be returning for one episode in season 13.

Set to air on Wednesday 16th April, the episode – entitled Post-Mortem – will see Boden being tasked by Commissioner Grissom to run a post-incident analysis following a house fire that collapses with a firefighter inside (via Deadline).

Stepping into the new fire chief role is Dermot Mulroney, who has joined the cast as Dom Pascal.

Speaking more about new character Dom, showrunner Andrea Newman told The Hollywood Reporter: "What we knew for sure is that we didn’t want him to be like Boden. They are very different characters. And then Dermot showed up and brought all his talent.

"He has so many intriguing qualities himself, and it all got caught up in this Pascal character, who we keep saying is just kind of a mystery man from the jump. He has layers that will be peeled back. The moment he steps in the house, he’s like, 'I’m not Boden, I’m not trying to be Boden. There’s going to be some changes around here, new rules.' So, he’s going to shake things up quite a bit."

Another main character who hasn't returned for season 13 is Kara Killmer, who played Sylvie Brett and joined the series back in season 3. Speaking about her final episode in season 12, Killmer told Deadline: “This is the natural end for her character; it’s kind of a perfect bookend, really.

"I’m selfishly delighted over the fact that Sylvie shows up in Chicago a jilted bride who was dumped at the altar by her high school sweetheart and then ends up across the aisle in her last episode from Matt Casey, the love of her life.

"I just love that her character has been able to come full circle and it’s it’s such a great way to exit her journey. It’s sort of perfect timing."

Another surprise departure comes from Rome Flynn, who debuted in season 12 and was only in a handful of episodes as Jake Gibson. The actor admitted he was "sad" to see Gibson leave the series.

The confirmed cast list for Chicago Fire season 13 is as follows:

• David Eigenberg as Lieutenant Christopher Herrmann
• Joe Minoso as Joe Cruz
• Miranda Rae Mayo as Lt Stella Kidd
• Daniel Kyri as Darren Ritter
• Hanako Greensmith as Violet Mikami
• Taylor Kinney as Kelly Severide
• Jocelyn Hudon as Lyla Novak
• Michael Bradway as Jack Damon
• Christian Stolte as Randall McHolland, aka Mouch
• Jake Lockett as Sam Carver
• Dermot Mulroney as Dom Pascal
• Randy Flagler as Harold Capp
• Anthony Ferraris as Tony Ferraris
• Michael Bradway as Jack Damon
• Robyn Coffin as Cindy Herrmann
• Tim Hopper as Captain Tom Van Meter

Chicago Fire season 13 plot: What will happen?

It's certainly a new feel for the series without Boden at its helm.

Chatting to Deadline about navigating that when writing the new season, showrunner Andrea Newman said: "The whole theme of season 12 was change, and how change affects a firehouse and family as close as 51.

"Boden’s message about that was, that once you’re a part of 51, you will always be a part of it. So Boden will always have a presence. But how everyone responds to any changes at the top is a fun challenge to write, and to watch. And there are some big twists at the end of the finale that throw even more chaos into the gang at 51, so a whole lot is coming their way."

As for whether, without Boden's presence, this signals a new era for the show, Newman also said: "Only time can tell — it all depends on exactly where Boden ends up, and exactly who sits in that Chief’s chair.

"Whatever the plan is initially, Fire fans can rest assured it will be a lot more complicated, bumpier and emotional than anyone expects. And it will cause a lot of firehouse chaos!"

Like previous seasons, Chicago Fire season 13 will once again be full of nail-biting cases, new characters and hurdles for our team of firefighters. But there were also some other pretty big plot points that were opened up in the season 12 finale, not least the bombshell that mysterious newcomer Damon (Michael Bradway) dropped.

Novak had told Damon that to make it in their line of work, he's got to be a lot more honest about himself and so, he drops the bombshell that his father was named Benny Severide, making him Kelly's half-brother.

Elsewhere in that finale, Kelly also admittted to Stella that he wanted to start a family which she seemed less than impressed by the thought of.

Mouch (Christian Stolte) also revealed that he is going to be taking the lieutenant’s test. With so much movement in the team as well as new dynamics to face, we're sure season 13 will be nothing short of drama-filled.

It was also excitingly announced that the One Chicago universe will be gearing up for a major crossover event this season, with a date yet to be announced for the anticipated episodes.

Is there a trailer for Chicago Fire season 13?

While there's no trailer for season 13, there is a One Chicago teaser that marked the return of the three hit series, as well as offered up a sneak peek of some of the new characters joining the mix.

You can watch that below.

Chicago Fire season 13 will return to US screens on Wednesday 26th March. Past seasons are available to watch on Sky and NOW in the UK. Find Sky deals here.

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