Chicago Fire Season 13 is going to look very different. It was to be expected, after Eamonn Walker’s departure as Chief Boden. But back when the news was announced, everyone expected Christopher Herrmann would somehow replace him as Chief – even if realistically, it made no sense. That, however, won’t be the case come Season 13. So why is Herrmann not Chief in Chicago Fire Season 13 after Boden’s exit?

Why Is Herrmann Not Chief in Chicago Fire Season 13 After Boden’s Exit?

When Chief Boden announced he was taking the job of Deputy Commissioner at the end of Chicago Fire Season 12, it was understood that someone would have to replace him. And though perhaps the obvious replacement would have been Severide, considering how uncomfortable Severide looked every time he was left in charge, that possibility was soon put to rest.

Very soon, however, Chicago Fire raised another possibility, in Christopher Herrmann. Not just that, it seemed like Boden wanted Herrmann to succeed him, even though Hermann himself didn’t seem too convinced, telling Herrmann that all he needed to be was the person “who looks out for people, who listens, who always leads with his heart.”

But there were logistics problems from the beginning, ones fans hoped could just be handwaved away. Alas, that was not to be and soon after the Season 12 finale aired, it was confirmed Herrmann would not be replacing Boden as Chief.

David Eigenberg, who plays Herrmann explained why to TV Insider at the Television Critics Association Summer 2024 Press Tour, saying: “The character can’t make a shift to a chief unless we were deep into TV falsehoods,” adding that, “I’m not going to let him do that. He has to become a captain, and then you got to go through a whole thing. I think that the character might be able to make the transition. I don’t know. Who knows? They may put me in chief and then fire me as a chief. We’ll see.”

Since Chicago Fire is not promoting Herrmann to Chief, that means a new character will have to come in to fill that role. Deadline reported that the new character, potentially called Dom Pascal, began his career with the CFD, but spent the last decade in Miami. He’s described as “a cheerful person who works well under pressure, and whose leadership style differs from Boden’s.”

Though Walker departed as a series regular, he has plans to return in a recurring role in the future. The show will return to NBC this Fall.

Chicago Fire streams on Peacock.