“Chicago Fire” fans are getting ready to say goodbye to Joe Minoso’s Cruz. After 14 seasons, the actor is leaving the series, and the “Chicago Fire” Season 15 premiere set up the exit.
The season picked up with the building fire that closed out “Chicago Fire” Season 14. While trying to save trapped victims, a wall fell on Cruz’s back, damaging his spine and paralyzing him. While the MRI showed that there was a tiny bit of healthy tissue, it’s not enough for him to be a firefighter.
When Will Joe Minoso Leave ‘Chicago Fire’?
When NBC first announced Minoso’s departure, it came with the knowledge that he would be in a few episodes. As one of the only OG characters left on the show, the writers wanted to do the exit justice, and that led to the creation of this storyline. What nobody knew was exactly how long he would be around.
Minoso didn’t appear in the second episode, but images show that he will be in the third installment. What Teran did tell Soaps is that the last episode will be “Chicago Fire” Season 15 Episode 5, which happens to be the 300th episode of the series.
It’s the episode that many expected it to be. Milestone episodes have brought some major exits, with the 200th episode being the last for Matt Casey as a member of Firehouse 51. While Jesse Spencer has been back as a guest star, he hasn’t returned as a series regular. The 100th episode didn’t include an exit, but it did bring a monumental moment for fans, as Casey and Dawson got married. However, the end also brought the disappointing news that the father of the boy they were looking to adopt, Louie, was back in town and wanted his son.
Will Otis Return for the 300th Episode of ‘Chicago Fire’?
When fans initially thought that the 300th episode would be Minoso’s last, it was due to the idea that Otis would return. However, it turns out that this isn’t going to happen after all, and now it makes sense that a stand-in was being hunted for, rather than just bringing Yuriy Sardarov back right away.
Teran has confirmed that the writers won’t bring any familiar faces back for the 300th episode of “Chicago Fire.” They wanted to make this about Cruz and his journey, and having other faces would ruin that chance.
Don’t expect a miraculous recovery for Cruz before he leaves the show. It was important for the writers to honor this very real and scary situation that firefighters can find themselves in. Death is just one of the risks they put themselves through on a daily basis. In this case, Cruz has to confront who he is without the career that he has worked hard to keep for all these decades.
The good news is that Minoso will be back later in “Chicago Fire” Season 15. Teran also confirmed that he will direct an episode later in the season, which isn’t unusual for the “One Chicago” universe. After Jesse Lee Soffer left “Chicago PD” as Jay Halstead in Season 10, he returned later that season to direct.
“Chicago Fire” Season 15 Episode 5 will air on Nov. 4, 2026 on NBC.
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‘Chicago Fire’ Boss Confirms Joe Minoso’s Final Episode of the Series