As Chicago Fire prepares to say goodbye on May 21 when Season 13 concludes, it will return this fall without two series regulars. Daniel Kyri and Jake Lockett will not return for Season 14. Chicago Fire showrunner Andrea Newman opened up to TV Line about these departures. Even though she did not reveal how they would be written out, she admitted the story’s direction did not fuel their exits. “There weren’t a lot of creative decisions behind it, because it all became this, like, ax falling across the network,” she said, confirming what reports indicated when the exits were announced. However, she said that there is a possibility Ritter and Carver could return in the future, even in a guest star spot. “Our characters have always — and this is the luxury of 13 seasons — but a bunch of them have come and gone and come back,” she said, then added:

“There’s still so much to be figured out with those two and those characters. We love the actors, we love the characters, and we want to give them some good, surprising moments and goodbyes, and then maybe hellos later down the line.”

‘Chicago Fire’ Loses Two Cast Members Ahead of Season 14

Cast departures on Chicago Fire and on broadcast shows have become common in the past few years. While they are disappointing to fans, they also offer a chance to bring in new blood and shake up the show like they did with Dom Pascal (Dermot Mulroney) when Boden (Eamonn Walker) left. “There’s always fun in bringing somebody new in, as well, and you have to shake these things up,” Newman said. She explained:

“Pascal is the best example of that, because Pascal came in this year and kind of turned everybody spinning. It wasn’t just that character in the room, it was how everybody else responded to him that was fun to play. So mixing it up is always a good thing, and we’ll write to that next season… Change isn’t always good at 51, but then sometimes, it surprises you and lifts everybody up.”

In the Season 13 finale, Pascal’s problems put the career of a Firehouse 51 member at risk. “Severide (Taylor Kinney) puts his job on the line to help out one of their own; Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) navigates Natalie’s complicated relationship with her sister; Herrmann (David Eigenberg) prepares to take the Chief test,” the logline for Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 22, “It Had to End This Way,” reads.