Chicago Fire Set Photos Back Up Season 15’s Major Death Theory — Gaming

Firehouse 51 may be gearing for another big death in Chicago Fire season 15.

NBC's premier first-responder procedural's 2025-2026 TV cycle had some rough patches. The year started with the departure of Sam Carver and Darren Ritter, followed by Firehouse 51 dealing with multiple issues. Christopher Herrmann heartbreakingly lost his house in a fire, while Joe Cruz and Harold Capp almost died in the intense One Chicago 2026 crossover. However, aside from the pair of departures at the start of the season, Firehouse 51's team remained intact, even with Dom Pascal's brief exit.

Amid all these issues, at least the squad came out of Chicago Fire season 14 without any major character death. During the show's earliest years, it had some of the most gut-wrenching and unexpected demises. It made sense, considering the nature of their job. In later years and even with some major character exits, Chicago Fire has pulled back on main character deaths. There have been losses, but none of them involve anyone from Firehouse 51. Things might change, however, in season 15.

Courtesy of @stellaride00 on X are images from the set of Chicago Fire while it's in production, and it backs up a major theory that Joe Cruz might end up dying. As seen in the string of photos, every character whose fates were left hanging during the season 14 finale are suited up in their firefighting gear, except for the veteran Squad 3 member. Couple that with the news that Joe Cruz is officially leaving the show, and it seems like Cruz's fate has already been decided. Check out the images below:

Aside from Mińoso, NBC also recently announced that Chicago Fire season 15 will write out Dermot Mulroney's Dom Pascal. Chief Wallace Boden's replacement, his start in Firehouse 51 was rocky, as the team was still reeling from the loss of Eammon Walker's fearless leader. To make things worse, Herrmann was also his former boss's personal pick as a replacement, which clearly didn't happen. Over time, however, Chicago Fire was able to endear Pascal to Firehouse 51 and the viewers, making his upcoming exit also difficult.

Elsewhere in One Chicago, Chicago PD is also losing an original cast member in Kevin Atwater. LaRoyce Hawkins is wrapping up his 14-season stint in the police procedural with a handful of more episodes when NBC's fall 2026 programming kicks off in a couple of months. The only consolation for Hank Voight's Intelligence Unit is that it is unlikely that Kevin is being killed. Instead, his girlfriend being pregnant is seemingly his path out of the dangerous job.

All of these exits are understandably frustrating, especially for Chicago Fire. While One Chicago has seen its fair share of departures in the last few years, Firehouse 51's losses have been the worst. Hopefully, however, things start to stabilize for the team, as it's the only way that it can deliver compelling narratives again.