FBI was a franchise seemed to be on an upward trajectory. It had three shows on the air, and had already announced plans for a fourth. Now, however, that number has been cut in half. CBS has now axed FBI: International and FBI: Most Wanted.
This is a pretty shocking turn of events. We have never really seen a network decide to pull the plug on two big name spinoffs such as these before. We're sad to see the spinoffs go, but not all hope is left. We will delve into the Dick Wolf of it all, and how there's still a chance the shows could be saved and revived via another network. But that's for another article. We want to focus on an actor.
Jesse Lee Soffer will no longer play Wes Mitchell
Jesse Lee Soffer joined FBI: International during its current season. He played Wes Mitchell, and he quickly became one of the show's dramatic bedrocks. As a result, though, Soffer's ability to return to Chicago PD to reprise his character Jay Halstead was nearly impossible.
Not only was the actor busy filming FBI: International in, well international locales, but FBI and One Chicago exist in the same television universe. No actor has been called upon to play two leads in the universe at the same time, so this meant that Halstead was going to have to stay MIA as long as the actor was playing Wes Mitchell.
Chicago PD showrunner Gwen Sigan said as much during an interview with Screen Rant in January. "I don't know how we'd do it! He'd have to play two characters," she noted. "It's funny to have him now in a whole different universe as a different character."
The actor could return as Halstead on Chicago PD
Soffer has already made it clear that he has no ill will toward Chicago PD and its cast. He has already returned to direct episodes of the series, and is rumored to be in a relationship with fellow PD alumni Tracy Spiridakos.
While it would have been nice to see Soffer stretch his acting muscles as Wes Mitchell, given that the desire to play different kinds of characters was his main reason for leaving PD, it is somewhat exciting to know that he could return to PD in a more meaningful capacity if he so chose.
We are coming up on the season 12 finale of Chicago PD, in which Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) and Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) are set to get married. It would be a good time for Soffer to make a cameo as Halstead, given how many years they worked together.
Would you like to see Soffer return to PD in a cameo role? Or do you feel like the window for the character's return has closed?