Community tv’s greatest scripted exhibits could also be within the midst of their summer time hiatuses, however FBI: Worldwide has some large casting information on the heels of former main man Luke Kleintank’s departure in late Season 3. Jesse Lee Soffer, greatest recognized for practically ten years as Chicago P.D.‘s Jay Halstead, is returning to the nine-show Dick Wolf TV universe… however to not play his acquainted character. Learn on for a way he is coming to the FBIs and the way Halstead really already has a connection to the CBS department of the Wolf world.
Jesse Lee Soffer Joins FBI: Worldwide
Regardless of FBI: Worldwide seemingly setting former Chicago Med star Colin Donnell up for a possible ongoing function, an alum from a special nook of the One Chicago world is on the way in which. Deadline stories that Jesse Lee Soffer has joined Worldwide as a sequence common for the upcoming Season 4, set to reach within the fall of the 2024 TV schedule.
He is set to fill the emptiness left by Luke Kleintank’s Scott Forrester, which presumably means he’ll be the brand new chief of the Fly Group, though his character has not been introduced simply but. He formally is not going to be reprising his function as Jay Halstead, making Soffer the most recent Wolf Leisure alum to affix the FBIs after beforehand starring in one of many NBC sequence.
In confirming the information on Instagram, Soffer did not drop any particulars about his new character, however did share that he is “very excited to affix the [FBI CBS] crew!” In an fascinating twist, becoming a member of Worldwide will reunite Soffer with Matt Olmstead, who co-created Chicago P.D. and beforehand served as showrunner. Olmstead joined Worldwide as showrunner forward of Season 3.
How Halstead Already Exists In The FBI World
The 9 exhibits of Dick Wolf‘s TV universe are the three of One Chicago on NBC, the three of Regulation & Order on NBC and Peacock, and the three FBIs on CBS. In an unlikely twist again in 2020, NBC and CBS formally related their branches of the franchise when Chicago P.D.‘s Tracy Spiridakos crossed over to FBI as Detective Hailey Upton for what was initially deliberate as a multi-episode arc previous to COVID shutdowns. (You could find the Season 2 finale of FBI that includes Spiridakos streaming with a Paramount+ subscription.)
Upton’s arrival mechanically meant that each one the characters of One Chicago and all of the characters of the Regulation & Order sequence formally exist on the earth of the FBIs, albeit considerably tangentially. Halstead’s tie is slightly nearer than any of the opposite characters except for Upton, nonetheless.
Whereas Jesse Lee Soffer did not seem in Tracy Spiridakos’ episode of FBI, Upton did name up her accomplice from 26 Fed at first of the following Chicago P.D. episode for a little bit of Upstead banter about pizza. (These have been the times, proper?) So, though Halstead hasn’t appeared on any of the FBIs, he was speaking to Upton whereas she was working with Zeeko Zaki’s OA and Co. in New York.
If you happen to ask me, that is about as shut as any One Chicago character aside from Upton involves taking part in an element in any of the FBI exhibits.
Why It is Not A Massive Deal
Whereas I wanted as a lot as every other Upstead fan that Halstead had appeared in Chicago P.D.‘s Season 11 finale for Upton’s exit, showrunner Gwen Sigan’s rationalization for why he wasn’t included is smart to me, and Halstead hadn’t been seen in One Chicago since fall of 2022.
Like many, my knee-jerk response to the information that Jesse Lee Soffer was becoming a member of FBI: Worldwide was that it could be weird to see him within the Wolf TV universe as anyone aside from Jay after taking part in the detective for greater than 200 episodes. After I considered it a bit extra, nonetheless, I spotted that it is actually not that large of a deal, as a result of Soffer definitely is not the primary to make this soar.
Each Alana de la Garza and Jeremy Sisto have been sequence regulars on Regulation & Order earlier than later becoming a member of FBI, Dylan McDermott went from taking part in a villain on Regulation & Order: Organized Crime in March 2022 to debuting as an agent on FBI: Most Wished in April 2022, Edwin Hodge recurred on Chicago Hearth earlier than touchdown Most Wished, and even Luke Kleintank appeared on Regulation & Order: SVU earlier than starring on Worldwide. Throw in Chicago Med‘s Colin Donnell to finish Worldwide Season 3, and there is loads of actor crossover with out character crossover.
So, even when it’s going to take some suspension of disbelief, it isn’t an enormous deal that Jesse Lee Soffer will play a second function within the Wolf TV universe. On the very least, extra time could have handed since his P.D. exit as Halstead and his Worldwide arrival than how Dylan McDermott left Regulation & Order: OC as a villain after which debuted on Most Wished as a hero with simply over a month in between.
Jesse Lee Soffer is ready to make his FBI: Worldwide debut when the hit CBS drama returns within the fall. Within the meantime, you possibly can revisit the latest season of Worldwide streaming with a Paramount+ subscription and all of Soffer’s seasons of Chicago P.D. with a Peacock Premium subscription.
