Chicago Fire boss finally addresses wave of recent cast exits

There have been many cast changes over the years on Chicago Fire, but it goes without saying that the last few years have definitely brought about some of the biggest changes in the show's history. Recent years have seen several long-time cast members exiting the show with the latest season seeing Alberto Rosende depart in the premiere and Kara Killmer set to leave the show sometime this season.

The recent wave of departures has fans worrying about what's to come for the franchise and whether more exits could be on the way, and honestly, that's very much a possibility. But as Chicago Fire showrunner Andrea Newman has pointed out that's not exactly a bad thing.

Following a string of cast departures, Newman is finally speaking out about the recent cast turnovers explaining to fans via TVLine that cast departures come with the territory when a show sticks around as long as Chicago Fire has.

 “Actor-wise, 12 years is a long [time]. Nobody expects in TV [that] they’re going to be anywhere for 12 years, I can say that for sure, from all sides,” Newman shared. “[In] storytelling and in terms of real life, 12 years is a long time and things need to change, just dynamic-wise. You want new characters and you want new dynamics."

Newman has a fair point as few shows make it past a few seasons, let alone past the 10-season mark as Chicago Fire has. Most actors sign five to six-year deals up front which means that contacts have to be renegotiated at this time. While some actors choose to extend their deals, others choose to take the end of their contracts as an opportunity to pursue new ventures which has been the case with many One Chicago actors.

While there have been many changes, Newman notes that the 51 “still feels very intact" with many mainstays still around as part of the team. “There’s still Boden at the helm and Severide and Kidd. It still feels very strong, and it still feels like most people who’ve been part of it are still part of it in lots of ways. So that’s lucky for us, too.”