This is not a drill: Jesse Spencer is headed back to Chicago Fire, E! News can confirm.
Despite only just leaving the NBC firefighting drama during season 10, the actor behind Matt Casey will be returning for season 11 as co-star Taylor Kinney embarks on his temporary leave of absence.
According to Variety, Jesse will make his return in the upcoming 18th episode of the season after most recently appearing in the season 10 finale. He initially departed the Dick Wolf series to focus on his family, though he has since filmed Last Days of the Space Age for Disney+.
A source close to production previously told E! News that Taylor, who plays Kelly Severide, is dealing with a personal matter. The cast and crew were informed of his exit on Jan. 20, with scripts reportedly being rewritten to accommodate his break, per Deadline.
Taylor, Jesse and more castmates celebrated the series' 200th episode in 2021. "I think that speaks volumes to the leadership from the top down," Taylor shared. "It's genuine, we all really get along. There's no bad apples. It really has become like a surrogate family."
Meanwhile, Jesse decided to leave Chicago Fire after spending nearly 20 years straight on television—though the House actor did indicate he was open to reprising the role.
"I thought it was time to leave the show, and [creator Derek Haas] agreed that we should at least get Casey to 200 episodes," he told TVLine in October 2021. "It was a difficult decision because I've loved the show from the start, but there are other things that I would like to do in the future, and there's some family that I need to take care of, and 18 years is a long time."
Don't be alarmed when you see Jesse Spencer eventually return to Chicago Fire, Wednesdays on NBC.
(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)