When Jesse Spencer’s Captain Matt Casey walked out of Chicago Fire in Season 10, fans were heartbroken—but what they didn’t know was just how fast the actor disappeared behind the scenes.
Originally, writers had crafted an emotional goodbye between Casey and Severide, a moment meant to mirror their bond and signal a hopeful return someday. But just hours before the scheduled shoot, Jesse Spencer reportedly told producers he wouldn’t film it.
“He’d made up his mind,” said one crew member. “He didn’t want a dragged-out farewell. He wanted to slip away.”
Writers scrambled to rework the ending, leaving only a quick scene between Casey and Brett. The absence of a proper goodbye between Chicago Fire’s two most iconic characters left fans confused—and co-stars stunned.
“It was his choice,” Taylor Kinney later said. “He needed to go. I respect that. But it was hard.”
To this day, the cut final scene remains unreleased, though insiders say it included Casey handing Severide a note with one final request: “Keep 51 safe.”
