An original Chicago Med star will be returning for the upcoming season 11, three years after their last appearance on the medical drama. Chicago Med season 11 will continue the story of the doctors in the Gaffney Chicago Medical Center, focusing on their cases alongside interpersonal relationships. This sometimes includes the return of long-gone familiar faces from season’s past.

Now, Deadline has reported that Nick Gehlfuss will be reprising his role as Dr. Will Halstead in Chicago Med season 11. Gehlfuss will return in a guest star capacity, though it’s unconfirmed how many episodes he’ll appear in. While details about his return remain under wraps, it’s the first time the character has come back in three years.

What Nick Gehlfuss’ Return As Dr. Halstead Means For Chicago Med Season 11

Halstead was last seen at the end of Chicago Med season 8, where he reconnected with Torrey DeVitto’s Dr. Natalie Manning in Seattle, the pair deciding to live a life together in the city with her son, Owen. Since then, there haven’t been any updates about his life and whereabouts, something his guest appearance will no doubt resolve.

Rejoining the cast of Chicago Med, there’s nothing that’s been revealed about what he’ll be doing. It’s likely his story may intersect with those of regular characters, like Goodwin being forced to fire Washington or Archer being revealed as the father to Asher’s unborn child. These stories alongside new ones may crop up during his time on the show.

For now, all that’s known is this corner of the One Chicago franchise, part of the larger Dick Wolf universe, will have plenty of nostalgia to fall back on for the upcoming season. Given that Halstead was originally the core character of Chicago Med, his return opens the door for plenty of references and circumstances to his past cases.

Our Take On Halstead’s Return In Chicago Med Season 11

Halstead is far from the only character in Chicago Med to make a return in recent years. Season 10 saw Rachel DiPillo reprise her role as as Dr. Sarah Reese in a recurring capacity, her first appearance since season 4. This opened the door for other original, long-term characters to come back, even if it’s been a long time.

While there’s no word yet when Chicago Med will be bringing Gehlfuss back as Halstead, it could be as early as season 11, episode 2. That will be the 200th episode of the show, and the perfect time to make callbacks to the past. However, he could also make a surprise appearance later instead, arriving at the perfect time.