Chicago Fire Season 12 is out now and brings about new questions. After a tense episode 2 teaser, many are asking: does Joe Cruz die in Chicago Fire?
Before you proceed, we have to warn you that this article contains spoilers. If you haven't watched the show yet, make sure to skip this until you do.
Here's what we know about Joe Cruz in Chicago Fire.
Why Do People Think Joe Minoso is Leaving Chicago Fire?
Joe Cruz (played by Joe Minoso) is one of the much-loved characters of the show. So when the episode preview hinted at the possibility of Joe either dying or "leaving the 51," it stirred questions among avid fans.
The preview gave viewers a look into Joe's frustration over the return of Lieutenant Kelly Severide's (played by Taylor Kinney) after his leave. This led Cruz to contemplate whether it was time for him to leave Firehouse 51.
Because of this short preview, fans of the soap couldn't help but worry about the fate of their favorite character and whether Minoso was actually leaving for good.
But as showrunner, Andrea Newman, told TVLine, Severide's return will "bring some new change and tension that will have to be worked out for Cruz and Severide to keep working together."
She also told TV Insider: “Cruz is really his right-hand man, so there’ll be some lingering issues between Severide and Cruz about that and some stuff to work out there.”
This gives us hope that the two will be resolving their issues in this season.
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Does Joe Cruz Die in Chicago Fire?
So does Joe Cruz die in Chicago Fire? At this point, there is still no confirmation of Cruz's fate in Chicago Fire Season 12. It's possible that the short preview led people to think this way since there was a scene of Joe slipping from a building.
Not to mention, if the actor does decide to leave Chicago Fire permanently, killing off his character would be the best way to explain his absence.
Is Joe Minoso Leaving Chicago Fire?
Going back to the more pressing issue of whether Minoso has revealed plans to leave the soap, there is no confirmation of this. His recent social media posts hint at his continuous stint on the soap.
Minoso also reposted a tribute to Christian Stolte's character in the soap who nearly died in Season 11.
A couple of other Chicago Fire characters have exited the soap in Season 12 but Minoso doesn't seem to be one of them, at least not yet.
When asked about a three-way One Chicago crossover between the characters, Minoso told WTHR:
“Dick Wolf, sir, Mr. Wolf — let me take a moment to appeal to you in front of the public: We all miss the ‘Chicago’ crossovers. We really want to make it happen. What actor gets to say that they play the same character across three different shows?"
So for the moment, fans can continue looking forward to seeing Minoso reprise his role as Joe Cruz in Chicago Fire for the foreseeable future.
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