Chicago PD suffered a major blow when Jay Halstead decided to leave. The actor who played him, Jesse Lee Soffer, wanted to pursue different artistic ventures, and was subsequently written off the show. Then, months later, Soffer was cast in a central role on FBI: International.
It was a bittersweet revelation. It was fun to see Soffer back in the swing of things in a Dick Wolf show, but since the FBI franchise takes place in the same universe as One Chicago, it muddied the water for future crossover events. This is a fear that some fans had, and PD showrunner Gwen Sigan confirmed it during a recent Screen Rant chat.
Gwen Sigan isn't sure how to juggle Soffer's roles
Sigan admitted that Soffer's history on Chicago PD and his current role on FBI: International does pose some very serious logistical issues. "Yeah! I don't know how we'd do it," she explained. "He'd have to play two characters." It would be utterly bizarre to see a crossover in which Soffer plays his FBI: International character, Wes Mitchell, and interacts with the PD crew as though he has no clue who they are.
Sigan noted that Soffer could always come back and play Halstead "for a one-off," but given how important he's become to the FBI spinoff, it would be tough to exclude him from a One Chicago link up. "There are so many opportunities," she noted. "It's funny to have him now in a whole different universe as a different character."
This is not the first time the issue of double dipping has come up. Jesse Lee Soffer was asked about the possibility of reprising his PD character during a recent interview with TV Line. "I didn’t ask, but I imagine that [my FBI: International role] doesn’t preclude that," he noted.
Soffer is interesting in making a PD cameo
Soffer's interest in making a Chicago PD cameo makes sense, given that he remains close with the cast and has even directed episodes of the show since his onscreen departure. "I would hope that it doesn’t [preclude my involvement], because, obviously, Wolf is such a huge production company with so many shows, and I feel very fortunate to get to play two main characters," he added.
The actor is in uncharted waters. Fans have seen actors reappear in larger One Chicago or FBI roles after having bit parts, but Soffer is the first actor to go from one starring role to another while both of the franchises were active. We can't wait to see how they (and if they ever) find a solution.