Chicago Fire will be welcoming one of its biggest stars back into the fold when the drama returns for season 12 next year.

Chicago Fire saw a fan-favourite make their temporary exit to deal with a “personal matter”, but their comeback is on the horizon.

Actor Taylor Kinney has been playing Lieutenant Kelly Severide since the NBC and Sky Witness drama debuted in 2012 and has been at the forefront of some of its biggest storylines.

Severide’s absence was addressed in season 11, episode 15, Damage Control, as it was said he left to attend “the best arson investigation training program in the world”.

But when the programme ended, Severide didn’t return to his wife Stella Kidd (played by Miranda Rae Mayo), leaving her and viewers concerned for his welfare.

It was in mid-January though that it was confirmed Kinney would be taking a hiatus from Chicago Fire to “deal with a personal matter”, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

No further details regarding the reason why he left were released with his temporary departure shrouded in secrecy.

Thankfully, this isn’t the end of Severide as a source confirmed to People magazine that Severide would be returning in season 12 of Chicago Fire.

So his unexpected delay in coming back home is expected to be explained in the next episodes.

The 42-year-old star hasn’t posted on Instagram since December 2022 and has yet to make a public announcement about his return to the show.

Production came to a halt on Chicago Fire like the rest of Hollywood when the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes began earlier this year.

Writers and showrunners returned to the drama as well as many others from Dick Wolf Productions in early October after the WGA strike came to an end.

Kinney and the rest of the cast will be making their way back to the set once the SAG-AFTRA strike is done and dusted with.

However, negotiations are still ongoing so it could be a while yet before Chicago Fire returns.

Chicago Fire was last seen in May 2023 when series 11 concluded with Casey (Jesse Spencer) unexpectedly proposing to Brett (Kara Killmer).

The show ended on a major cliffhanger though with Brett’s answer not revealed in the last few moments.

So how is Brett going to reply when Chicago Fire does return in early to mid 2024?