Chicago Fire season 12 finale, is set to return in season 13, episode 18, in the role of Deputy Commissioner. Boden will investigate a devastating fire in which a firefighter was left behind, and Walker has hinted that the event could have wide-reaching ramifications for the show.

In an interview with ScreenRant, Walker hints that the show could lose other cast following his departure. He talked about the intensity of the episode, and how by the end, another cast member could be lost, while also discussing the friction that could occur between Boden and new chief, Pascal. He discusses the potential death of a fan-favorite and mentions that Boden's experiences are secondary to the dramatic events of the episode. Check out his comments below:

ScreenRant: I'm curious what Boden might think of Pascal as the new fire chief, especially because he had wanted Herrmann to step into that role.

Eamonn Walker: Well, whenever anybody starts a new job, and I imagine you the first day you started, nobody starts well. Everything takes a little bit of time, but that's not what's on the line in this particular episode, this is really quite specific because of the nature of what happened in this fire with one of your favorites potentially dying. So that is what Boden is dealing with. So what's happened up until now, pretty unimportant, because maybe, by the end of this episode, you may lose another member of your cast.

What This Means For Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 18

There Are Real Stakes At Play Here

Boden's return might be welcomed by audiences, but, as Walker suggests, there might be more important things to worry about once the episode is through. It is difficult to assess from his comments whether he is talking about the general stakes at play in a dramatic procedural episode or if he has knowledge that another cast member could be on their way out. Chicago Fire has seen many shocking character deaths, so the show is not afraid to kill off key characters, which will creates real stakes in this episode.

The events of this episode could impact a number of the team in different ways, and there would be many avenues with which to write a departure.

While Boden's return may just be a single episode, there is a chance that the fallout from the fire and the subsequent investigation may span multiple episodes. With a possible Chicago Fire season 14 renewal, it would not be a surprise to see Boden appearing again. But it might also indicate that the show will undergo a shake-up, and this could see one or more major cast departing as season 13 draws to a close.

Our Take On More Possible Cast Departures

It's Difficult To Rule Anything Out At This Stage

While it is difficult to gauge whether a character might be killed off without knowing who is under threat, it's also difficult to rule anything out at this stage. What's more, characters don't have to be killed off for cast to leave the show. The events of this episode could impact a number of the team in different ways, and there would be many avenues with which to write a departure. Ultimately, the nature of procedurals is that they have high cast turnovers, so there could be at least one star leaving Chicago Fire this season.