Chicago Med season 8: Will Oliver Platt return as Daniel Charles?

Dr. Daniel Charles (Oliver Platt) is a solid player on Chicago Med. Rarely the center of attention since he was introduced, Charles is more of a sounding board for the other characters on the show, and it’s a credit to Platt’s amiable performance that it all flows smoothly.

The way that Charles is used, which is to say, sparingly, makes it difficult to gauge his involvement in a given season. Where peers like Dr. Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss) or Dr. Scott (Guy Lockard) are tied directly into the season cliffhangers, Charles is on the outskirts.

So, will he be returning for season 8?

Is Oliver Platt leaving Chicago Med?

Yes, Dr. Charles will be back. He will be on hand to deliver one-liners and pearls of wisdom with his usual panache. That said, the actor who plays him, Oliver Platt, has hinted at the possibility that he will have more to do this time around.

During a roundtable interview with Looper, Platt suggested that Dr. Charles has issues getting close with people, and that season 8 will see him try to overcome these issues.

"“Look, the guy’s had multiple marriages”, the actor noted. “Clearly, there are some intimacy issues here, and I love the fact that we’re on the edges of exploring that stuff. It’s sort of a classic psychological profile for a shrink in that he’s adept at figuring out other people’s emotional landscapes, but his [own] might be a little bit more mysterious to him.”"

Watch One Chicago on fuboTV: Watch over 67 live sports and entertainment channels with a 7-day FREE trial!

It definitely tracks, given what we know about Dr. Charles’ history. In addition to the marriages, he’s had to deal with a brother who died from a drug overdose and the death of his wife (to whom he was married twice) from cancer.

Charles has experienced profound loss and suffered the loss of people closest to him. It aligns with his patient worldview, but it also makes it tricky for him to make any sort of meaningful connection. As Platt stated, it’s a classic psychological profile.

As Chicago Med enters season 8, it’ll be exciting to see the changes that Dr. Charles will go through. Hopefully, he’s be able to come out of the season a happier character.

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