Chicago Fire has some big changes coming in Season 13. One of the biggest is the news that Eamonn Walker is stepping down from a main role into a recurring one in the series. To accomplish this, his character, Wallace Boden, stepped down as the Chief of Firehouse 51. While many fans thought they knew who would take over, it won’t happen.

Here is who the show replaced Boden with and why it wasn’t Christopher Herrmann.

Who Is The New Chief On Chicago Fire?

When Eamonn Walker announced he was stepping back from his acting role on Chicago Fire, many fans wondered who would replace him as the Chief. Most assumed the job would go to Senior Firefighter Christopher Herrmann (David Eigenberg). That is not what will happen when the new season begins.

As Lieutenant, Herrmann is fourth in command to Battalion Chief Wallace Boden. He is also someone everyone respects and comes to for advice. It seems there is no better fit for the job than Herrmann. However, the CBS series had other ideas for who would step into the role.

Chief Boden announced he was taking the job of Deputy Commissioner at the end of Chicago Fire Season 12. This means he had to step down and could realistically have a role in naming the new Chief. Fans quickly guessed at Hermann or Severide, but neither of those returning characters got the job.

This even comes after Boden said to Hermann that he needed to be the person “who looks out for people, who listens, who always leads with his heart.” That sounded like a tease that he was getting the job, but it was just a way to keep him as someone who was there for the team when the new Chief came in.

Is The New Chicago Fire Chief A Brand-New Character?

David Eigenberg, who plays Herrmann, said he would not accept his character taking the role of Chief because it makes no sense. He said it would be a “TV falsehood” (via She Knows). Hermann would have to become a Captain and then work his way up. He can’t just take the job because fans like him.

This leaves it up to a new character, and that is a character named Dom Pascal (via Deadline). He is a new male character who began his career with the CFD but spent the last decade as a chief in Sunny Miami. He is described as cheerful and someone who works well under pressure and also a different leader than Boden.

There is no word on who the show will cast as the new character.

What are your thoughts on replacing Chief Boden with a brand-new character on Chicago Fire? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.