Viewers will meet Wallace Boden's replacement when Eamonn Walker left Chicago Fire ahead of season 13, and someone has to take his place. Some speculated that Boden's successor would come from in-house, and Christopher Herrmann would become Firehouse 51's chief, but that won't be the case.

Chicago Fire season 13 will have 22 episodes and premiere on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

Chief Boden expressed that Herrmann was his preference for his replacement during the Chicago Fire season 12 finale. However, the producers evidently want to inject some new blood into the cast. As a result, an experienced fire chief from Miami will move to Chicago to take over Boden's position at Firehouse 51. Based on early teases about the new character, he should be a breath of fresh air that Chicago Fire has so desperately needed in recent seasons.

How Chief Pascal Will Be Different To Boden

Dermot Mulroney s The Chicago Fire Season 13 Cast As Dom Pascal

NBC has cast Dermot Mulroney to play Boden's replacement in Chicago Fire season 13. Mulroney stars as Dom Pascal, a veteran firefighter from Chicago who has been working as a fire chief in Miami for the past decade. He moves back to Chicago to accept the job as Firehouse 51's new chief. Pascal is also estranged from his wife, Monica, which reportedly drives his story in the episodes. So, on the surface, it's easy to see how Pascal differs from Boden. During an interview with TV Insider, showrunner Andrea Newman further elaborated on Pascal's approach to leadership compared to Boden's. She said:

"[Chief Dom Pascal] shakes everything up. What's transpired to get him here is revealed in the premiere. He's a totally different kind of leader from Boden, who was a father figure by the time he left the house. [He] is enigmatic, he wants to peel back the layers of the firefighters to find out more about them as firefighters and people, because knowledge is power to him. He's got his eye out for people who cross the line. All our guys will have different reactions to him and there will be surprises in of who bonds with Pascal and who doesn't."

Since Pascal's methods will differ from Boden's in Chicago Fire season 13, the firefighters must adjust to this new way of thinking. As Newman mentions, some characters will strike an instant connection with Pascal, while others will be put off by his leadership values. Whatever the case, the change will ultimately be a good thing for Chicago Fire​​​​​​.

Chicago Fire's Boden Replacement Needed To Be Very Different

Chicago Fire Doesn't Need A Carbon Copy Of Boden

It's inevitable — viewers are going to compare Pascal to Boden in Chicago Fire season 13. However, the writers took the right approach with the new chief by making him so different from Firehouse 51's former leader. By giving Pascal a personality that contrasts with Boden's, the show can avoid too many negative comparisons between the two. That way, Pascal can pave his own path instead of constantly standing in Boden's shadow.

Of course, Pascal has some pretty big shoes to fill in the cast of Chicago Fire season 13. Boden has left a permanent mark on the procedural drama that no one could ever replace, even if the series continues for 10 more seasons. But because Boden is so special, season 13 can't make Pascal a carbon copy of the former chief. For starters, this plan would epically fail for reasons previously stated. Pascal is also his own character, and it would be a disservice to him to just repeat Boden's story. Pascal needs to stand on his own, and it seems like he will.

Pascal Sets Up A Boden Conflict In Chicago Fire Season 13

Eamonn Walker Is Expected To Return In Season 13 In Some Capacity

By making Pascal have a contrasting personality to Boden's, the Chicago Fire writers are also laying the groundwork for conflict between Mulroney's character and Walker's in season 13. Although Walker left Chicago Fire after 12 seasons, the actor is still expected to have a recurring role in the episodes as Boden is now the Chicago Fire Department's Deputy Commissioner. So, it's only a matter of time before Boden comes face-to-face with his successor.

Given their differences (especially when it comes to leading Firehouse 51), Pascal and Boden will likely clash. TV shows are all about conflict, and Pascal and Boden's potential contention just adds to the growing pile of drama that awaits viewers in season 13. However, fans will have to wait and see who vibes with Pascal and who doesn't when Chicago Fire season 13 premieres in the fall of 2024.

Source: TV Insider