A television procedural with enough history to rival the likes of NCIS, Chicago Fire has not long completed its eleventh season, with millions of viewers having now tuned in to watch the ups, downs, and in-betweens at Firehouse 51 since 2012. With many a great season in its back pocket, it seems as if the reputation of Chicago Fire grows from strength to strength each year, with the recent announcement of the show’s renewal for a Season 12 coming as little surprise.
Alongside the rest of Dick Wolf’s One Chicago franchise, Chicago Fire is a mainstay in many of our viewing habits, and, with Season 12 officially on its way, excitement is higher than ever. So, with that in mind, here is everything we know about Chicago Fire Season 12 so far.
When Is The Release Date For ‘Chicago Fire’ Season 12?
Upon the official announcement of Season 12, the suggested release date was in or around Fall 2023, however, the subsequent WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes would cause delays. Without knowledge of a release date, and with Chicago Fire not on NBC’s Fall release schedule, we will likely not see Season 12 until at least some way into 2024, with the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike likely to keep that date pushing back as production cannot start.
Where Can You Watch ‘Chicago Fire’ Season 12?
Although there were rumors for some time that NBC executives were going to break up the now-famous Wednesday night One Chicago block of programming, luckily, the decision was made to keep the status quo. As it stands and has done since 2014, Chicago Fire will be available to watch on Wednesdays at 10/9c, sandwiched between both Chicago Med and Chicago P.D. For those who miss it on the night, all episodes are made available to stream on Peacock the very next day, with a subscription costing $5.99 per month with ads and $11.99 per month without.
Is There A Trailer For ‘Chicago Fire’ Season 12?
Currently, given that production has not yet begun on Season 12, it will come as no surprise to learn there isn’t a trailer. Make sure to sign up and stay tuned to Collider to find out exactly when a trailer arrives, although, with procedurals of this nature, it is unlikely we will see one until the very last couple of weeks before release. In the meantime, here is a reminder of the trailer for the most recent season finale of Chicago Fire.
Who Is In The Cast For ‘Chicago Fire’ Season 12?
Despite no definitive confirmations about the cast, Chicago Fire Season 11’s finale does give a fair indication of who exactly might return. It is expected that most of the main cast will reprise their roles, including the likes of David Eigenberg (Garfield) as Lieutenant Christopher Herrmann, Joe Minoso (Man of Steel) as Joe Cruz, Alberto Rosende (Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments) as Blake Gallo, Daniel Kyri (The T) as Darren Ritter, Hanako Greensmith (FBI) as Violet Mikami, Miranda Rae Mayo (True Detective) as Lt. Stella Kidd, and series mainstay Eamonn Walker (Oz) as Deputy District Chief Wallace Boden.
After taking a temporary leave of absence in Season 11 to deal with personal matters, it is unknown whether Taylor Kinney (The Vampire Diaries) as Kelly Severide will return in time for Season 12 despite the desperate pleas of fans. Another character viewers are yearning for more of is Jesse Spencer (House M.D.) as Matthew Casey, with his role in Season 11 reduced to special appearances following his departure. However, a return for Season 12 is not off the cards, with Spencer himself saying to NBC Insider, “The idea when I left the show was that if it was appropriate, and it would work with the storyline they wanted to do, I would be open—and they would be open—to bringing Casey back,” and later saying, “Can he potentially, in the future, rekindle his relationship with Brett (Kara Killmer) and start that fire again? We’re ‘going to have to see. Casey’s looking at it; it’s a potential thing, but we just don’t know right now. We’ll leave that to the future”. Given Casey’s proposal to Brett in the Season 11 finale, it looks as if we are likely getting much more of him, and Brett, in Season 12.
One man destined to not appear in Season 12 following the shocking ending to Season 11 is Christian Stolte (Law Abiding Citizen) as Randall “Mouch” McHolland. Despite having appeared in all 239 episodes to date, Stolte’s time on the show looks to be coming to an end after a sniper opened fire on Firehouse 51 and potentially fatally wounded Mouch, with the finale closing to the sight of life draining from his face. Not a show afraid of killing off one of its many beloved characters, there is certainly a strong possibility that, whether through death or retirement, this could be the end of Christian Stolte’s time on the show.
What Will ‘Chicago Fire’ Season 12 Be About?
Although there is not yet an official synopsis for Season 12, and with many of Chicago Fire’s storylines confined to singular episodes, each season does still have overarching stories and themes. With the Season 11 finale drawing all sorts of questions from the fandom, there are many answers needed that leave more than a simple suggestion as to what is in store for Firehouse 51 in Season 12. Ultimately, the fate of Christian Stolte’s Mouch will likely dominate at least the first couple of episodes depending on whether or not he survived. Also, Casey’s proposal to Brett despite him supposedly returning back to Oregon could leave the show with more empty space on its hands if Brett ends up following him, or, alternatively, the two may stick around and let their engagement become crucial to Season 12’s narrative. Other storylines, including Severide’s return and Stella’s troubled relationship with her husband, will find resolution in Season 12, with Dick Wolf and co-ready to push the series into unchartered territory as it continues to evolve and mature.
Who Is Behind ‘Chicago Fire’ Season 12?
Of course, the brain behind the series himself Dick Wolf, will be returning in his role as executive producer, with continuity behind the scenes likely to be kept, which would see the likes of director Reza Tabrizi and writers Michael Brandt and Derek Haas return. Likely joining Wolf as executive producers on Season 12 are Derek Haas, Arthur W. Forney, Michael Brandt, Peter Jankowski, and Andrea Newman.
What About The Rest Of The One Chicago Franchise?
Alongside the announcement that Chicago Fire would return, it was officially stated that both Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med would be back too, with Dick Wolf noting in a statement, “I’m pleased to continue my four-decade relationship with Universal Television and NBC. All six shows [including the Law & Order franchise] being picked up again is the ultimate accolade to our incredible casts, producers, and writers. I’d also like to thank our loyal fans who have kept our NBC shows on the air for what will be a cumulative 84 seasons.”
