Chicago P.D. saw the exit of actor Jesse Lee Soffer this past fall when he decided it was time to move on to other things.
For years, Soffer played Detective Jay Halstead, an integral part of Intelligence who was just starting to get his footing as an equal to Hank Voight.
His character’s exit has left a big hole on the team, even though the show added Benjamin Levy Aguilar as Dante Torres.
Now, Soffer has returned to the world of One Chicago in a new role, where he will be behind the camera instead of in front of it.
Soffer is trying his hand at directing, allowing him to work again with all of the same people he used to star on the show with.
Recently, one Chicago P.D. cast member said he was nervous about Soffer taking on that new role, but probably not more than Soffer himself.
Will Jesse Lee Soffer also play Jay Halstead again?
With Jesse Lee Soffer back on the set for Chicago P.D., the showrunners were going to be asked if he would be playing Jay Halstead again.
“There are no plans to see him onscreen, but we’re very excited that he is coming back and directing one. I think he’s gonna really enjoy it. I think it will be a nice opportunity for him,” showrunner Gwen Sigan told TV Insider.
That’s a specific answer from the person who knows the most about the situation, so we can probably put to bed any short-term rumors of Halstead popping up. As for the long-term, we will hold out hope for a return sometime down the road.
Will Jay Halstead be mentioned in upcoming Chicago P.D. episodes?
As for whether or not Chicago P.D. will provide new information about Jay Halstead, it sounds like we will soon get an update(s) about what the former detective is up to now.
“We’ll definitely hear about what’s going on, for sure, and tell stories about that absence,” Gwen Sigan added to her statement about the future of Halstead for Chicago P.D.
In a separate revelation, we also learned whether or not Sean O’Neal is returning to Chicago P.D. based on what just happened during that epic fall finale. That episode is certainly one that fans should re-watch before the big return date in January 2023.
For anyone just looking for a quick breakdown, here is a recap of the Chicago P.D. fall finale.
Chicago P.D. airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on NBC.