Chicago Med fans have become accustomed to characters coming and going. There have been a number of character exits in the past, as the cast has almost completely changed except for two remaining original characters. The series hasn't yet confirmed that another character exit will be happening in season 11 after Maggie's abrupt exit, but one's seemingly being teased.
In recent episodes, Chicago Med season 11 has appeared to flirt with a potential exit for Dr. Charles (Oliver Platt). While celebrating his birthday, his friends seemed to poke fun at him about still working even though they are all happily retired. Even more suspect, in the fall finale, Charles was noticeably acting different than usual, like his health wasn't as strong as it normally is.
The references to retirement and Charles' demeanor shift have us a suspicious that he could be hanging up his coat at Gaffney and handing it over to another doctor that joined the team. Chicago Med might have already introduced fans to Charles' replacement for his eventual departure with Dr. Theo Rabari, played by The Resident alum Manish Dayal.
When Dr. Rabari was introduced in Chicago Med season 11 episode 4, he and Charles clashed over the new technology he was pitching to the Gaffney team. Charles didn't trust the technology, but after working with him on a case he couldn't crack, Charles came around to Rabari and his innovations. A similar arc happened during Dayal's second appearance as Rabari in the fall finale, as Charles ended the episode apologizing to him and admitting he hasn't felt like himself.
Was that apology and admission of not feeling like himself a soft launch for Charles leaving the show? Personally, I hope not. Charles is basically the beating heart of Chicago Med and a calming presence in the ED (which makes sense since he's a psychiatrist). It's hard to imagine the show without him, but it would be understandable if after 10 years, Platt wanted to move on from the character.
If Charles does end up leaving, it's an exciting thought that Dayal could possibly join the cast full time to fill the void of Charles' departure and for Rabari to fill his position. After the ending of Fox's medical drama The Resident, on which Dayal was a series regular for all six seasons, this would be the actor's second medical drama. But Rabari would be a much different character than the one he played on the previous fan-favorite. Still, let's not get too ahead of ourselves.
While Chicago Med has possible started foreshadowing an upcoming storyline for Charles, perhaps it's not a full retirement or exit. Regardless, you have to admit that something was definitely going on with him in the fall finale. He was uncharacteristically tired and sluggish and forgetful. We'll have to wait and see what happens when the series returns in 2026, but Rabari's a natural successor.