Jesse Spencer returning to ‘Chicago Fire’: report

Not since the surprise announcement in January that actor Taylor Kinney was stepping away from “Chicago Fire” to handle a “personal matter” has the One Chicago Wednesday universe uttered such a collective sigh.

That’s due to an exclusive report in Variety late Thursday that Jesse Spencer will return for the 18th episode of Season 11. The media outlet also reported that storyline details have not been disclosed. NBC also confirmed the news to the Sun-Times.

Spencer starred on the hit TV series since its premiere in 2012, exiting the Chicago-based drama in Season 10 — on the show’s 200th episode to be exact. At the time, the Australian-born Spencer told TVLine that “It was a difficult decision because I’ve loved the show from the start, but there are other things that I would like to do in the future, and there’s some family that I need to take care of.”

No word yet on when Kinney or his character Kelly Severide will resurface on the series.

The return is not the first one for Spencer, however, whose Capt. Matt Casey character came back last year for Severide’s wedding in the season 10 finale.

Creator Dick Wolf’s “Chicago Fire” along with spin-offs “Chicago PD” and “Chicago Med,” comprise NBC’s rock-solid Wednesday night lineup, affectionately called One Chicago Wednesday.