Why did Crockett Marcel leave Chicago Med? Explained

Dr. Crockett Marcel, played by Dominic Rains, first appeared in season 5 of Chicago Med. During his appearance in the recent five installments, Marcel became an important character in the series as a trauma surgeon at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. In June 2024, rumors started circulating that Rains would leave the show before the premiere of season 10 on September 25.

In an interview with One Chicago Center on September 24, showrunner Allen MacDonald talked about the plans of unfolding Marcel's exit from the show. He said:

“Dominic does not return at the top of season 10 and we explain his departure to you pretty quickly. The reason I decided to do that was just simply I felt that Dr. Crockett Marcel had already been written out at the end of last season."

Actor Dominic Rains’ departure from the show made fans curious about Dr. Marcel's future. In the season 9 finale, Marcel dealt with the death of a patient which mirrored his own grief.

Rains’ exit reportedly followed a pattern observed in recent times, where Chicago Med actors left the series to seek new opportunities. The list of show’s alumni, include Brian Tee (Dr. Ethan Choi) and Torrey DeVitto (Dr. Natalie Manning)—who also left to work on different projects.

---

Chicago Med: Dr. Crockett Marcel’s emotional storyline

Dr. Crockett Marcel's departure from Chicago Med was hinted at in the season 9 finale. His last story involved a young liver transplant patient who died from an infection. The boy's father, overwhelmed by grief, later ended his own life.

This tragic incident deeply affected Marcel, as it brought back memories of his own daughter's death from leukemia just before her first birthday. His failure to save his patient brought back the feeling of helplessness and regret.

In a heartbreaking conversation with nurse Maggie Lockwood, Marcel shared how his patient's death reminded him of losing his daughter, Harper. This moment became central to his storyline, as it suggested that his emotional scars were resurfacing, making it difficult for him to continue as a surgeon.

In a conversation with One Chicago Center, showrunner Allen MacDonald mentioned:

“It was left in a way that he could come back or if he left it, it was understandable that he had some issues of his own that he needed to work out in terms of his grieving process for the loss of his daughter."

---

Showrunner Andrea Newman talks about character develtopment on Chicago Med

Even though Dominic Rains didn't officially announce his departure from the show, Chicago Fire showrunner Andrea Newman explained the challenges of long-term character development. In an interview published by TV Line on January 21, 2024, he said:

“Storytelling and in terms of real life, 12 years is a long time and things need to change, just dynamic-wise. You want new characters and you want new dynamics."

Apart from Dominic Rains, several other long-time One Chicago cast members left the show in recent years. Tracy Spiridakos exited Chicago P.D. after seven seasons. In an interview published by NBC Insider on May 22, 2024, she stated that she wanted to “switch it up” and explore new roles.

---

Will Crockett Marcel return to the show?

Although Dr. Marcel’s departure is final for now, the door hasn’t been completely closed on a potential return. Showrunner Allen MacDonald hinted that Chicago Med, like the broader One Chicago universe, has a history of characters returning to the storyline.

MacDonald told One Chicago Center:

“There are no solid plans at the moment for this, but I’m very interested in bringing back characters from the past and seeing how they react to the characters they knew in the past, and with the new characters that we’ve added because I would love to see that and I think the audience would too."

---

Fans of Chicago Med can watch the show on Peacock.