Colin Donnell Returns to Chicago Med for Season 12

Dr. Connor Rhodes is returning to Gaffney Chicago Medical Center as Chicago Med brings back original cast member Colin Donnell for two episodes in Season 12. The NBC medical drama will feature his comeback beginning with its December 9 fall finale, when hospital administrator Sharon Goodwin recruits the cardiac surgeon to treat a young patient requiring a complicated, high-risk operation, according to People.

The announcement, reported by People and confirmed by Give Me My Remote and Soaps.com, marks Donnell's first appearance on the series since his departure in 2019. His return reunites viewers with a character whose departure followed a devastating personal tragedy involving his father and former girlfriend Ava.

Showrunner Allen MacDonald said bringing Donnell back had been a priority since he took charge of the series. He emphasized the character's importance to the drama, which introduced Connor in its premiere in 2015.

"Dr. Connor Rhodes was the very first character fans met in the opening scene of Chicago Med's premiere episode in 2015, and he's one of my absolute favorites in the history of the series, so bringing him back home to Gaffney Chicago Medical Center has been an absolute priority for me since I joined the show. I'm so thrilled that Colin Donnell has agreed to return in his iconic role, bringing with him all of Connor's warmth, intelligence, and complexity.

Both Colin and Connor have been missed." MacDonald told People.

Connor's return comes as Goodwin faces uncertainty over her position at the hospital. She has been fighting to keep her job after being accused of leaking a doctor's medical files. Her decision to bring Connor in for the surgery places the hospital administrator at the center of his comeback storyline.

Donnell played Connor throughout the first five seasons before leaving the series in 2019. In his final storyline, Ava, portrayed by Norma Kuhling, revealed that she had killed Connor's father. After Connor rejected her attempt to reunite, Ava died by suicide, prompting him to leave Chicago and seek a fresh start.

MacDonald has previously discussed his intention to bring back members of the original cast while giving their characters room to develop. In an interview with TV Insider in 2025, he explained that the production planned to approach these returns individually rather than crowding multiple former cast members into a single episode.

"It is my plan to bring back all the original cast members at some time or another, so I think that's a watch-and-see sort of thing." MacDonald told TV Insider.

He also described why the series had approached earlier returns selectively, citing the opportunity to explore how familiar characters had changed. Rachel DiPillo returned as psychiatrist Dr. Sarah Reese in Season 10, allowing the show to revisit her relationship with Dr. Daniel Charles, played by Oliver Platt.

MacDonald said he wanted these appearances to serve a clear narrative purpose rather than simply gather former cast members in one installment.

"But what's important to me is as I bring them back, that I bring them back one at a time for the most part. I brought Dr. Sarah Reese [Rachel DiPillo] back [in Season 10] because I felt that I wanted to update what the dynamic was with Charles.

I was very interested in a more mature, more experienced Sarah Reese going head-to-head with Charles. I loved that character from watching the earlier seasons. But I worry about packing a whole bunch of OG characters into one episode because then you don't get to give them their due."

MacDonald told TV Insider.

The series has also welcomed back other familiar faces in recent seasons. Nick Gehlfuss returned as Dr. Will Halstead, while Torrey DeVitto reprised her role as Dr.

Natalie Manning during a special two-part storyline marking the show's 200th episode. S. Epatha Merkerson and Oliver Platt remain among the original regular cast members still appearing in the series.

Give Me My Remote reported that MacDonald had been hinting at another original cast member's return since the summer without identifying the actor or character. Donnell's two-episode appearance now adds Connor Rhodes to the show's continuing series of reunions with former cast members.

Chicago Med airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern and 7 p.m. Central on NBC.