Chicago Med Season 9: Everything We Know

Will may be gone, but Chicago Med's still going strong!

Fans gasped when Will resigned after sabotaging OR 2.0 and moved to Seattle, where he met Natalie and a still-adorable Owen at the airport. Nick Gehlfuss' surprise exit after eight years turned our expectations upside down; where does Med go from here?

There's still plenty of life left in Med, even without one of its leads, and we have details about Chicago Med Season 9! Be sure to bookmark this page and check back often, as we will update as we get more information.

Will is not the first original cast member to leave Chicago Med; however, he's been the heart of the series for eight years, and his absence will leave a gaping hole.

This will give some other characters a chance to shine. We might also get some new doctors into the rotation at Med. There are so many directions the show can go from here!

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Much of Chicago Med Season 8 revolved around Jack Dayton's takeover of the hospital and ethical concerns surrounding the use of his OR 2.0 machine.

That story effectively came to an end thanks to Will's sabotage. Now Dayton can't get any investors and has to sell the hospital. But will this be the end of OR 2.0?

As Marcel pointed out, the technology had its benefits too. He performed many surgeries that were previously impossible, saving lives, and working with OR 2.0 also gave him a reputation as the go-to surgeon for these AI-assisted surgeries. Returning to traditional surgery might not be enough for him now.

And we don't know who might buy the hospital next. It could be someone more power-hungry than Jack, who had a conflict of interest since he owned a medical tech company but was far milder a corporate overlord than anyone expected.

Let's look more closely at what we know about Chicago Med Season 9.

Has Chicago Med Been Renewed?

While some series remain on the bubble for long periods, causing fans to hold their breath and pray for renewal, Chicago Med wasn't among them. NBC renewed all three One Chicago shows in April 2023, along with all three of Dick Wolf's other franchise, Law & Order.

While the series was last renewed for three seasons, this time, it scored only a one-season pickup. However, the One Chicago shows are among NBC's highest-rated shows, so if Med continues to do well, it will likely continue for years.

What's Chicago Med Season 9 About?

Chicago Med always balances medical and personal drama, and the new season will be no exception, especially now that they're down a doctor.

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Filling Will's shoes will be no easy task. For eight years, he was a renegade doctor who often did ethically questionable things in his quest to help patients. He also had a messy personal life and was known for his on-again, off-again relationship with Natalie.

Someone else will have to fill that central role now. Dr. Marcel has made some controversial decisions, which allow him to take over as the sometimes-rebellious central doctor, but he's a surgeon and needs a non-surgeon to play off of.

When Marcel first arrived at Med, he was closed off from everyone and burdened by his grief over his one-year-old daughter's death. Might some of his psychological problems again come to the forefront now that he's not Dayton's favorite doctor?

Marcel struggled with enjoying being in the spotlight and didn't like using his relationship with Dayton to get ahead. However, he'll miss the friendship and the professional perks of being involved with Dayton. This could lead to some meaty material for him.

Archer's health also took a turn for the worse, but he can't get a kidney transplant now because of Sean's relapse. The ordinarily stoic Archer has to accept more and more limitations because of his declining health, which might affect his personality and mood.

Archer may try to keep working for as long as he can or search for a new donor so he has a better chance of survival. He will probably also continue his push-pull relationship with Asher, in which he alternately leans on her and distances himself from her because he doesn't like needing her help.

Dr. Charles may get involved in supporting Archer's mental health throughout this, but he has problems of his own to worry about. Liliana's brother seems to be moving increasingly toward being abusive and overcontrolling her, and his efforts to separate her from Charles are starting to work.

He will have more consequences as he decides whether or how to fight for her and protect her from Pavel.

And, of course, the change in hospital ownership will affect the entire staff. Maggie might be distraught; she nearly changed jobs over Dayton's leadership and may not be any happier with his replacement.

In addition to this drama, we can expect the moving medical storylines and complex cases that have defined Chicago Med for the past eight years.

Will There Be Any Crossovers With Other One Chicago Shows?

Pre-COVID, it was customary for there to be at least one special episode per season that involved all three Chicago dramas. However, the pandemic made it more challenging to do these episodes because of concerns about working with more significant numbers of people on set.

Things have calmed down a lot COVID-wise, although it is still an issue, and nothing has been announced yet about whether there will be a One Chicago Crossover during Chicago Med Season 9.

It's also possible that instead of a full crossover, some characters may visit other Chicago shows when it fits the plot, such as Chicago PD officers visiting Med during a story involving the victim of a gunshot wound.

If there is a crossover, it will be the first not to feature either Halstead brother, as Jesse Lee Soffer exited Chicago PD as Jay Halsted several months before Will left Chicago Med.

Who is Part of the Chicago Med Cast?

No other significant exits have been announced as of yet, although some characters could still be headed for the door. There were several previously unannounced exits during Chicago Med Season 8; Will's was the most high profile, but we also lost Vanessa, Scoot, and Choi during the season.

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As of now, here are the cast members expected to return for Chicago Med Season 9:

Marylne Barett as Maggie Lockwood

Epatha S Merkerson as Sharon Goodwin

Oliver Platt as Daniel Charles

Dominic Rains as Crockett Marcel

Jessy Schram as Hannah Asher

Steven Weber as Dean Archer

There will likely be changes to this cast list as new characters are added or it is confirmed that other significant characters are exiting.

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In addition, there still will likely be stories involving less prominent characters such as Liliana and Pavel or neurosurgeon Sam Abrams, so the actors playing these characters may appear on a recurring basis.

When Will Chicago Med Season 9 Premiere?

Excellent news on this front. OneChicago is set for its grand entrance to 2024!

Chicago Med premieres on Wednesday, January 17 at 8/7c.

As always, it will be followed by Chicago Fire and Chicago PD for a trifecta of OneChicago goodness!

How Many Episodes Will Be in Chicago Med Season 9?

At this point, we do not know how many episodes will be in Chicago Med Season 9, but if it was a normal year, we'd expect 22.

As noted above, there is an ongoing WGA writers' strike, which has affected any early work on the show.

On July 13, 2023, the SAF-AFTRA union also initiated a strike for the actors in their union, and you can't produce a show without actors. We hope the unions and studios can come to an agreement so they can return to work, retaining their livelihoods and producing the shows we love.