Chicago Fire is and always has been, the focal point of the One Chicago universe. Everything spawned from it, and whenever there's a crossover, the narrative is based around a case that Firehouse 51 first stumbled upon.
The 2025 crossover event is no different. Unfortunately, the firehouse will be missing a crucial member during the massive, three-part storyline. A character who has been part of the team since day one, and has been on hand for all previous crossovers. We're talking, of course, about Joe Cruz (Joe Minoso).
Cruz will be suspended during the crossover
The character is an unrivaled fan favorite, but his actions over the last few episodes have caught up with him. Cruz made some questionable decisions that led to the death of a gang leader named Flaco back in season 1. He came clean to his superiors, and was commended for doing so, but it didn't stop him from recieving punishment.
Cruz was suspended for two weeks without pay in the episode "Chaos Theory." The punishment was dished out by Chief Dom Pascal (Dermot Mulroney), who acknowledged that Cruz understands the error of his ways. Unfortunately, the suspension means that Cruz will be forced to sit out the chaos that will occur in the One Chicago crossover.
The character's absence was confirmed by Chicago Fire showrunner Andrea Newman. She told One Chicago Center that it was tricky to determine when Cruz would be suspended, but ultimately felt that it needed to happen right before the crossover for dramatic purposes.
Chicago Fire boss confirmed Cruz paid the "price"
"He's the one character who's not in the crossover," Newman admitted. "[He has to pay] the cosmic price for what happened. It's so funny, because it really felt like, when do we suspend him? As we were building over the course of the season, it's like you don't get to be in the crossover. What you did, you were bad. It makes sense."
Cruz was always going to face repercussions for what he did. Joe Minoso, the actor who plays Cruz, did a terrific job of concealing his absence from the crossover during interviews, though. The actor repeatedly talked about the scale and the fun he had acting alongside his One Chicago peers in the past.
He really made it seem as though he was going to be front and center, going as far as to poke fun at Chicago Med star Steven Weber. It was all a ruse, however, and the actor will be back in the mix only after the franchise undergoes its biggest crossover event to date.