Jesse Spencer Returning for the 'Chicago Fire' Season 10 Finale — and That Big Wedding

The actor left the series in October, but is returning for the wedding of Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) and Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo)

By Breanne L. Heldman

Published on April 27, 2022 03:00PM EDT

It's One Chicago Wednesday, and while there may not be a new episode on NBC today, there's certainly some good news out of the Windy City.

Jesse Spencer will be returning as Matt Casey for the Chicago Fire season finale next month, PEOPLE can confirm.

And it's for exactly the reason you think it is: Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) and Stella Kidd's (Miranda Rae Mayo) big wedding.

"Jesse Spencer so understands the character — and especially the relationship that Casey has with Severide, the bond of that friendship — and he knew the character had promised to be there at the wedding as the Best Man," Chicago Fire co-showrunner Andrea Newman tells PEOPLE. "Jesse is just like Casey: he's a man of his word and he was going to make it happen. He is completely connected to the character in that way."

Fans surely recall the original cast member's departure on the 200th episode last October, when Casey moved to Portland to become the legal guardian to the two teenage sons of Andy Darden, a Firehouse 51 firefighter who died in the show's pilot episode in 2012.

"We had definitely set the acorn in his mind then that we would want him for the finale," says co-showrunner Derek Haas. "We were at the mercy of a very busy man's schedule, but thank goodness he was able to do it."

Laughing, Haas adds, "I'm pretty sure Andrea and I would have kidnapped him. You would've been wondering why was Casey tied to a chair at the wedding."

Casey's departure was especially shocking given that he had finally gotten together with paramedic Sylvie Brett (Kara Killmer) after several seasons of buildup. They decided to keep things going long-distance, and in March, Brett took a leave of absence from 51 in order to spend more time with Casey in Portland.

Killmer, too, will be back for the big finale, as well as the show's next season.

Chicago Fire has already been renewed for the 11th season, and given the show's solid ratings week after week, has no end in sight. Which suits its showrunners just fine.

"I think we have an endgame in our heads but we're hoping that that endgame gets pushed off until 2045," says Haas.

Chicago Fire airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on NBC. The season finale airs May 25.