Cast shake-ups are nothing new for the One Chicago franchise, but every now and then one comes about that leaves fans feeling particularly shocked. That was that for the cast last year when news broke that Marlyne Barrett was exiting Chicago Med after 10 seasons playing Maggie Lockwood on NBC’s beloved medical drama.
When Deadline first broke the news, details about Barrett’s exit were limited, with the trade reporting that it was Barrett’s decision to step back from the series for personal reasons. Interestingly, at the time the news broke, it was hinted that this was envisioned as a “temporary leave” with the hope being for Barrett to return at some point in the season. Sadly, that would not be the case.
Maggie was written out of the show off-screen in the season 11 premiere with little information provided about the circumstances of her exit from Gaffney and few updates on Maggie beyond the premiere. As the season went by, fans continued to hold out hope for an appearance from Maggie, but that sadly never came to fruition with Barrett missing the entirety of season 11.
Fans have been eager to know whether we could perhaps see Maggie back for season 12; however, a return from the beloved original cast member does not appear to be in the cards.
Chicago Med boss reveals there are no plans for Marlyne Barrett to return in season 12
While the door has been left open for Marlyne Barrett to return as Maggie, Chicago Med showrunner Allen MacDonald has confirmed we will not be seeing Maggie in the show’s upcoming season—or at least, there are no current plans for her to return.
“There will be references made to Maggie, but there are no plans for Marlene to come back this season,” MacDonald told Give Me My Remote.
MacDonald did not elaborate further, but it’s clear by his candor that fans should not expect to see Maggie in the upcoming season. Of course, things could change as things move fast and are ever-changing in the industry, but at the moment it seems Maggie’s presence will only be felt in references to her character and not via an on-screen return.
It’s certainly disappointing to know that we won’t be seeing Maggie back again, but that’s simply because of how much we love the character and miss having Barrett on our screens. The main thing we hope is that Barrett is doing well, as there has been a lot of speculation about the reasons for her exit.
Barrett publicly spoke about her battle with uterine and ovarian cancer back in 2022. After undergoing multiple rounds of chemotherapy and surgery, Barrett confirmed to People in 2024 that the cancer was in remission. Given what Barrett has shared about her health journey, it’s understandable that fans may have questions and concerns, but ultimately, her health and well-being are far more important than seeing a particular character return. We’ll simply continue to wish Barrett the very best and hope she’s doing well.
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