Chicago Fire Season 13's Surprise Casting Is Welcome (But Shocking)

Contains spoilers for "Chicago Fire" Season 13

"Chicago Fire" has its new chief, but he's stepping into some big boots — boots he might not be able to fill. While he's bound to add a breath of fresh air to the cast, it's still surprising that we're getting a new chief instead of promoting one of the show's beloved veterans. 

Deadline exclusively announced that Dermot Mulroney will be playing a character called Dom Pascal, which went into casting this past June. Dom is described as a cheerful, gregarious counterpoint to the more serious but still caring Wallace Boden (Eamonn Walker). A Florida transplant with a troubled marriage, Pascal can buckle down and give his all to help out if need be. There's no word as to whether or not the character's name or anything about his backstory has changed, but it looks like the show has definitely found its man in the versatile Mulroney, who's made a career out of doing everything from comedy to drama.

But Pascal's presence will be quite the shocker for fans who presumed Chris Herrmann (David Eigenberg) was set to take over for Boden after the latter encouraged him to apply for the position during the Season 12 finale. As exciting as Mulroney's casting is, fans still recovering from Boden's last, tear-inducing scenes are bound to be upset with the results — we'll just have to see if they're willing to give the blithe Pascal a chance.

The only problem with Dom Pascal's existence is that fans have been genuinely hoping that Herrmann would move up the food chain at the firehouse after years of minimizing his own talents. So watching him lose out on this opportunity is bound to be a disappointment, and might end up driving viewers out of Pascal's corner before he's gotten a chance to bloom.

David Eigenberg did tell Deadline why and how his character might turn down the position during the One Chicago TCA panel. "I want to say he felt like he had the rug pulled from under him because I don't think [Herrmann] saw what the Chief said to him coming at all. In the real fire service, there are firefighters who stay firefighters their entire career. So when you become a Lieutenant, you're not called a firefighter. You are a firefighter but you are not called that anymore." Asserting that Chris would miss being in the field, Eigenberg added, "We have to see how the writers deal with it." 

But while Herrmann might be the heir apparent, there's one more firefighter who might be willing and able to fill Boden's boots.

Chris Herrmann isn't the only one who might have the mettle for a career advancement. During the Season 12 finale, Randy "Mouch" McHolland (Christian Stolte) reveals that he's planning on taking the lieutenant's test. His wife Trudy (Amy Morton) is helping him study. Mouch, too, has literally crawled through fire to attain his position at the firehouse, and stands at the precipice of a huge advancement should he end up acing his exam. Of course, being a lieutenant isn't on the same level as being the chief — Mouch would need more experience — but raising him up the ranks makes a little more sense than adding a new character to the mix. 

Still, the drama definitely needs new blood and some fresh cast members. Things are already going to be hard enough for Dom Pascal once he lands at Engine 51. It doesn't help that Wallace Boden won't be entirely gone and Eamonn Walker will be making post-exit appearences during Season 13 of "Chicago Fire." Dermot Mulroney definitely has the talent and temerity to make him interesting. But it remains to be seen if viewers will give Pascal the time of day.