Dermot Mulroney is leaving Chicago Fire early in Season 15. The actor, who plays Battalion Chief Dom Pascal on the long-running NBC firefighter drama, will wrap up his storyline early in the season’s run, sources close to production told Deadline.
The move follows reports earlier this week that Joe Miñoso, an original cast member who has played firefighter Joe Cruz since Season 1, will also conclude his arc early in Season 15. After both exits, only three original cast members will remain on the series: Taylor Kinney, David Eigenberg, and Christian Stolte.
How Pascal’s Story Continues
Mulroney joined Chicago Fire in Season 13, taking over as chief of Firehouse 51 after Eamonn Walker’s Wallace Boden departed after twelve seasons. Pascal’s rigid leadership style initially clashed with the crew, but he eventually won over much of the team.
In Season 14, the character was written out midseason after being arrested and fired for unbecoming conduct. Pascal returned in the Season 14 finale, reuniting with Severide to discuss his professional future just as an emergency call interrupted their conversation. The resulting warehouse fire left several firefighters trapped, and Pascal was shown outside the building as the roof collapsed — leaving his fate unresolved.
Season 15, premiering October 7, will address the fallout from those events, production sources say.
A Shifting Cast at Firehouse 51
Alongside Kinney and Miranda Rae Mayo, who signed new deals to return, several other cast members are expected back. Hanako Greensmith, Jocelyn Hudon, and Brandon Larracuente are among those slated to return. The show is also adding BMF star Da’Vinchi as a series regular firefighter candidate named Marcus Burke.
Earlier this year, longtime showrunner Andrea Newman departed after fourteen seasons on the series. She was succeeded by co-executive producer Victor Teran, who now serves as executive producer and showrunner for Season 15.
“Chicago fire has taken out many of its leading characters. The show is not what it used to be. Why couldn’t you bring back Peter Mills or Cavanaugh or Gallo? … We’re very disappointed and now you’re taking away Joe Cruz. Bad move.” — Deadline reader comment
Why It Matters
Chicago Fire has spent years cycling through leadership changes at Firehouse 51, but the loss of multiple original cast members in one season signals a more fundamental shift. With Kinney, Eigenberg, and Stolte now anchoring the series alone, the show’s identity is increasingly tied to its legacy characters rather than its ensemble. Whether NBC can sustain the franchise without its founding faces will be one of the questions defining the fall schedule.
NBC has not published a consolidated OneChicago fall 2026 schedule, but Chicago Fire returns on Wednesday, October 7 at 9 p.m. ET, sandwiched between Chicago Med and Chicago P.D. as part of the network’s Thursday drama block.
