Severide is back. After a 10-month break, Chicago Fire star Taylor Kinney is set to return to NBC‘s firefighter drama at the start of its upcoming 12th season.As Deadline reported earlier this month, the Chicago Fire writers room opened the week of October 4. According to sources, the first batch of scripts for the new season feature Kinney’s Kelly Severide. His future appearances beyond that are not confirmed, but I hear the actor’s return is expected to be full-time.As Deadline previously reported exclusively, Kinney has been on a leave of absence since January, dealing with a personal matter. Despite rampant speculation, the fan favorite did not come back for the Season 11 finale. Instead, Chicago Fire alum Jesse Spencer, who starred as Matt Casey alongside Kinney for 10 seasons, returned for two guest appearances last spring, including in the season finale, to help fill the void.Kinney has starred as firefighter Kelly Severide on the Wolf Entertainment procedural since its launch in 2012 and became the ensemble drama’s sole lead following Spencer’s exit. Severide last appeared in the February 22 episode titled “Run Like Hell.” It was explained in the following episode, which aired on March 1, that Severide was sent off to attend arson-investigation training. At the time of Kinney’s temporary departure, Severide was a newlywed, having tied the knot with Stella Kidd, played by Miranda Rae Mayo, at the end of Season 10.Chicago Fire is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Dick Wolf’s Wolf Entertainment. Season 11 executive producer/co-showrunner Andrea Newman has been named sole showrunner for the upcoming 12th season.
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