According to The Hollywood Reporter, Taylor Kinney is set to return to the hit NBC drama series 'Chicago Fire' for its upcoming 12th season. The show, which has been on hiatus due to the actors strike, will resume production soon.

Sources reveal that the writers room of 'Chicago Fire' has already planned to bring Kinney's character, Kelly Severide, back into the show in the early episodes of Season 12. However, it remains unclear whether Severide's return will be permanent or if he will only make appearances in a few episodes.

Kinney took a leave of absence from the series during the latter part of the 2022-23 season due to personal reasons. On screen, Severide's absence was explained by his attendance at an arson investigation program, giving the indication that he would eventually return to Firehouse 51. In his first episode away, a conversation between Capt. Van Meter (played by Tim Hopper) and Chief Boden (played by Eamonn Walker) hinted that Severide would bring back valuable expertise to the firehouse once he completed the program.

Taylor Kinney has been a part of 'Chicago Fire' since its premiere in 2012 and has appeared in an impressive 231 consecutive episodes before taking his leave. He has also made guest appearances in more than 20 episodes of other Chicago-based series on NBC, including 'Chicago P.D.', 'Chicago Med', and the short-lived 'Chicago Justice'.

With the conclusion of the writers strike in late September, the writers rooms of all three Chicago series, as well as NBC's Law & Order trio, have reopened. However, production for 'Chicago Fire' and other shows won't commence until the actors union SAG-AFTRA resolves its strike against studios and streamers. Both parties have had productive talks in the past weeks, but according to a recent statement from the union on October 30th, they are still far apart on key issues.

Fans of 'Chicago Fire' will undoubtedly be thrilled by Taylor Kinney's return as Kelly Severide in the upcoming season. Stay tuned for more updates on season 12 as negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and studios continue.