“Whether or not they’re going to be part of stories next season, that’s still up in the air. We love these actors so much and the characters are such an inherent part of the show. There could be explosive endings to these stories, but we could also be winding them in a little bit more. Maybe not as regulars, but seeing them come back and play their stories out. We’ll have to see.”

When asked to make a definitive statement about whether both characters could return in the future, Newman simply responded, “Yeah, there’s always a chance. Nothing is locked down yet.” Kyri has starred in 130 episodes of Chicago Fire as Darren Ritter, and Lockett has featured in 54 episodes. Fans have grown close to both characters over the past few years, and if their departure from the series does turn out to be permanent, it will certainly break some hearts. The only person to star in all 274 episodes of Chicago Fire is Taylor Kinney, who plays Kelly Severide. Christian Stolte and Joe Minoso have each appeared in 273 and 272 episodes.

Chicago Fire was written and created for television by Michael Brandt and Derek Haas, and Newman is also credited as a scribe on more than 60 episodes of the series, dating back to its first season, in addition to serving as the showrunner. Michael A. O’Shea, Michael Gilvary, and Jill Weinberger have also worked in the writer’s room on the series. Reza Tabrizi has directed the most episodes of Chicago Fire at 55, and Joe Chappelle follows closely behind him at 31 episodes. Dermot Mulroney can also be seen in Chicago Fire.

The first 21 episodes of Chicago Fire Season 13 are out now, and the Season 13 finale will air tomorrow night. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of the series, and watch Chicago Fire on Peacock.