Chicago PD villain to make move to Organized Crime but with a major twist

A familiar face from Chicago PD is leaving the Windy City behind and making their way to New York City where they’ll be joining another iconic Dick Wolf series.

Mykelti Williamson, who played Denny Woods across seasons 4 and 5 of Chicago PD, has officially joined the cast of Law & Order: Organized Crime. Given both franchises are set within the same connective universe, one might assume Denny is about to make a comeback as a foil for Christopher Meloni’s Detective Elliot Stabler. However, it turns out the creative team has another plan in place in place, one that might leave fans who follow both shows a bit surprised.

As reported by Deadline, who was the first to break the casting news, Williamson will be playing an entirely new role in the upcoming second season of Organized Crime. Although details are scarce and it is unknown yet whether Williamson will once again be playing a villainous character on the show, it has been confirmed he will be playing a character named Preston Webb… and not reprising his role as Denny Woods.

While it would have been fun to see Williamson return as Denny Woods, it makes sense the writers would look to leave that storyline in the past and this is far from the first time an actor will have appeared in a Dick Wolf franchise playing different roles.

Will Mykelti Williamson return to Chicago PD for season 9?

Of course, whenever discussing a One Chicago alumni it’s hard not to address the elephant in the room that often shows up in examining what their new role could mean for their future in the One Chicago franchise.

It’s been several seasons since we last saw Williamson appear in an episode of Chicago PD and, although nothing has been confirmed thus far by NBC, it’s looking unlikely he’ll return for the show’s upcoming ninth season.

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In accepting a new recurring role on Law & Order: Organized Crime, it seems safe to assume that Williamson will have his hands full in filming for the show. It’s also worth noting that while we’ve seen actors cross over between various Dick Wolf shows, we’ve never seen an actor appear as two separate characters in the same season — likely in an effort not to confuse audiences given the connective universe NBC has built between the series.

For the latest Chicago PD season 9 spoilers and news, plus more on the entire series, follow the Chicago PD category at One Chicago Center.