Chicago Med ended Season 6 by saying goodbye to no fewer than four major characters from the ED. Ethan's departure will last only as long as it takes him to recover from his gunshot wound, but Goodwin finally fired Will. Fortunately, Nick Gehlfuss wasn't going anywhere, and Will is back in the ED for Season 7. But how is Med bringing him back, when Goodwin had more than one reason to fire him, even with Natalie's confession? Showrunners Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider previewed what's on the way when it comes to Will, and one bridge at least that he burned.
Will skated on thin ice with Goodwin plenty of times before his actions ultimately sabotaged the clinical trial and led to Kender pulling out of Gaffney Med last season, so her firing him was arguably a long time coming from a practical standpoint. Co-showrunner Diane Frolov shared what their dynamic will look like in Season 7 once Will makes his big return:
Goodwin will bring Will back to help her with a particular concern of hers, and their working together will change their relationship for the better. Goodwin will come to respect and appreciate him.
Although Diane Frolov didn't reveal the exact concern that will motivate Goodwin to bring back Will, working more closely together will evidently be good for them. In the first six seasons, Goodwin did tend to find out about Will's bolder actions only after they caused trouble rather than his successes on a daily basis, so perhaps working together on a more regular basis will help her see how his instincts can really pay off.
Fans will have to wait until the premiere to find out why Will gets to return when he crossed so many lines back in Season 6. The early looks at the premiere only yield so many clues, and the previews show Goodwin praising the "fire" that Will brings to his work, but also that Dean Archer may not have the friendliest of feelings toward him. If that's the case with Archer until Ethan recovers and returns, at least Will's bond with Crockett will be stronger after losing Natalie, according to the showrunners!
As for the connection he formed with Tehmina Sunny's Sabeena Virani last season, they worked well together and formed a solid bond, but Will also did a pretty solid job of ruining what they had by breaking the rules of the trial. Co-showrunner Andrew Frolov weighed in on whether or not Will fully burned that bridge:
We don't have any immediate plans to bring her back. But she's a wonderful actor and an interesting character. We'd certainly entertain bringing her back although Will did a good job of burning that bridge.
So, fans of Dr. Virani's in Season 6 shouldn't count on seeing her again in Season 7, but at least she got an open-ended exit like Connor did, rather than a very definitive departure like Ava. But viewers may not have time to miss Dr. Virani, as Chicago Med has added a number of new characters for Season 7 with a couple of new ED doctors. Steven Weber was also promoted to series regular status for Season 7, so Dean Archer evidently isn't going anywhere.
See what's next for Will, Goodwin, and all the rest when Chicago Med returns for Season 7 on Wednesday, September 22 at 8 p.m. ET to kick off a night of One Chicago action on NBC. Chicago Fire will follow with a "terrifying" opening of Season 10, according to showrunner Derek Haas, at 9 p.m. ET. As for Chicago P.D., stars Jason Beghe and Tracy Spiridakos previewed the fallout on the way for the Intelligence Unit, as well as with the relationships with Halstead.
