Could Annie Ilonzeh return on Chicago Fire or Chicago Med?

Annie Ilonzeh has left Chicago Fire, but could she return as Emily Foster for a Chicago Fire season 9 farewell, or resurface in Chicago Med season 6?

It’s been about a week and a half since Annie Ilonzeh departed the Chicago Fire cast, but fans are already asking: Will she return for a final episode in Chicago Fire season 9?

Or, since her character Emily Foster is returning to medical school at Northwestern, could Ilonzeh turn up as a medical student during Chicago Med season 6?

One Chicago fans found out on April 16 that Ilonzeh would not be returning to Fire after just two seasons playing Foster. On-screen, her character was seen attending an interview to get back into medical school, though waiting to hear if she was accepted.

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Presumably, when Chicago Fire season 9 premieres, Foster will have gotten into Northwestern and come to the decision that she wants to be a med student rather than a paramedic.

But because season 8 was cut three episodes short, will Annie Ilonzeh get one last send-off like Colin Donnell and Norma Kuhling, or will all that happen off-screen like it did with Jon Seda‘s departure?

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It’s possible that those last three episodes had a more detailed exit story for Foster, where something specific pushed her into leaving Firehouse 51 and she got to say goodbye to her now ex-colleagues. When Derek Haas tweeted about Ilonzeh’s exit, he said that she would “hopefully [be] seen again,” which sounds like he had something more planned for Foster than we saw.

If that’s the case, he could bring her back in season 9 to at least show her formal departure, and let the fans see the farewell between Foster and Sylvie Brett (Kara Killmer). That has merit, especially since Brett didn’t get to say goodbye to Foster’s predecessor Gabriela Dawson (Monica Raymund). And it would be more impactful than that last shot of Foster and Brett walking away from the Northwestern campus.

Another option would be that Annie Ilonzeh pulls a Jeff Hephner and resurfaces on Chicago Med as Foster does her residency at the One Chicago hospital. That’s not as easy as fans think, though, because the two shows have different creative teams.

Hephner was brought onto Med because that show had a specific use for his character Jeff Clarke. If Annie Ilonzeh is going to appear there, it will be because Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider feel they want to use Emily Foster. The crossover appearances don’t just happen by default.

There are ways to utilize Foster in the future, but ultimately, it’s going to come down to more of the behind-the-scenes logistics that fans don’t see. In our finale interview, Haas didn’t know yet how those missing episodes would play into season 9; as much as he wants to bring Foster back and fans would like to see her back, he might have too much to do and not enough space.

Plus, will Ilonzeh be willing or able to return when the ninth season starts production? She hasn’t commented on why she left the show; we don’t know if it was another cast turnover or if she was done with the character. By the time season 9 begins, she could decide that she’s moved on, or the logistics of shooting a last episode(s) might not work for her.

But if you’re holding out hope to see Emily Foster again, it’s certainly possible. If Derek Haas could find a way to bring Monica Raymund back (twice!), hopefully he can work this paramedic problem out, too.

For the latest Chicago Fire season 8 spoilers and news, plus more on the entire series, follow the Chicago Fire category at One Chicago Center.