Chicago Fire is going through multiple cast changes in season 15 — but how does the show plan to address the shakeups?
Brandon Larracuente teased how the hit NBC series, which returns Wednesday, October 7, will address writing off Dermot Mulroney‘s Pascal. (Joe Miñoso‘s Cruz is also leaving later in the season in a shocking departure.)
“[That goodbye] was difficult. I’ve only known Joe for the past one-and-a-half seasons, but when you come into this universe of Chicago, but Chicago Fire specifically, they really embrace you,” Larracuente, 31, told TV Insider on Wednesday, September 30. “I felt a part of the cast within weeks, maybe less than that.”
He continued: “So, to not have that presence on set every day, there’s going to be a definite void, but I hope that we see more of Joe. I hope that he comes back as an actor at some point. I hope he gets to direct a couple episodes.”
Larracuente, who plays Sal Vasquez, felt the difference after multiple costars left the show.
“There is a definite void that I think Joe’s character is going to leave in the firehouse, but not just in his character, like the actor himself, Joe Miñoso,” he noted. “He’s been there since season 1. … He kind of essentially opened up the door for people like myself, especially Latins, to step into this universe. And I think he’s did it gracefully, and I think the writers have done a phenomenal job this season kind of giving him a farewell tour or a sendoff. I think they’re doing it the right way.”
Pascal, meanwhile, is being written out with “a lot of [it being] contingent on what happens in the cliffhanger that we saw in season 14,” according to Larracuente. “And that, based on what happens in that cliffhanger, determines his exit.”
“I think the beauty of things like this is that despite a big tragedy,” Larracuente explained. “At the end of the call when things finally die down, seeing the camaraderie and seeing how they lean on each other and seeing just the sense of teamwork and the familial feel that comes with the firehouse, I think that’s the most important part, is knowing that we were all there for each other. I think that’s one of the most crucial things that we’ll see this year.”
The One Chicago franchise has made headlines over the years as cast members often come and go across all three shows. Before season 15 of Chicago Fire, multiple outlets confirmed that Miñoso, 48, was leaving the hit NBC series.
Showrunner Andrea Newman also exited after spending more than a decade behind the scenes. Newman, who worked on Chicago Fire for its 14-season run, confirmed her departure in April, with co-executive producer Victor Teran taking over the role. Newman joined Chicago Fire after the pilot as co-executive producer before being promoted to executive producer. She was then named co-showrunner and became the sole showrunner in 2023.
News later broke that Mulroney, 62, is also leaving following his brief return in the season 14 finale earlier this year. Pascal was noticeably missing for several episodes throughout the season, with Rob Morgan (Andre Hopkins) taking over his position as chief at Firehouse 51.
