At a Glance
- Dr. Daniel Charles, portrayed by Oliver Platt, is weighing retirement on Chicago Med
- The Chief of Psychiatry suffered a panic attack after denying a heart-transplant candidate who had attempted suicide
- Showrunner Allen MacDonald confirms retirement is “a possibility that he considers”
- Why it matters: Fans face the potential exit of the only remaining original cast member still in every episode
Dr. Daniel Charles, the longtime Chief of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center, is grappling with whether to walk away from the job he has held since Chicago Med premiered. The eleventh season has placed the character’s own mental health under the microscope, culminating in a full-body panic attack in the January 7 midseason premiere.
Viewers have watched Charles celebrate his 65th birthday and receive a not-so-subtle nudge toward retirement when friends gifted him golf clubs. While the gesture irritated him, the emotional toll of recent cases has pushed the veteran doctor to question how much longer he can stay on the front lines.
The Case That Broke Him
The pivotal moment arrived when Charles had to rule on a heart-transplant request from a patient who had attempted suicide while waiting for the organ. He denied the transplant, then immediately began second-guessing the decision.
Later, in a tearful therapy session, Charles admitted:
> “I think about it all the time. I don’t know if I have it in me anymore. Everything just seems to be getting so much – I don’t know if it’s me who’s changing or the patients – but on days like yesterday, man, I don’t know how much gas I have left in the tank.”
The stress escalated into a heated exchange with transplant surgeon Dr. Justin Morris, triggering the panic attack that left Charles gasping and admitting, “I think there’s something really wrong with me, and I don’t know what it is. I’m scared.”
What the Boss Says
Showrunner Allen MacDonald told TV Line in December 2025 that retirement is on Charles’s mind.
> “It’s a possibility that he considers,” MacDonald said, adding that the writers have “really been doing a slow burn on Dr. Charles’ arc. He’s been having some issues with his antidepressants, and he’s been struggling a little bit with his moods and not feeling as physically well as he has in the past. Those issues will come to head later in the season.”
No formal exit has been announced by NBC or by Platt.
The Cast Exodus Pattern
Should Charles depart, it would continue the exodus of long-term stars from the medical drama. Marlyne Barrett, who played charge nurse Maggie Lockwood, stepped back before season 11. Only two original principals remain under contract:
- S. Epatha Merkerson as Sharon Goodwin
- Oliver Platt as Daniel Charles
Outside the Hospital Walls
Away from Chicago Med, Platt has been expanding his résumé. In 2024 he asked his agent to seek additional roles, landing the part of Uncle Jimmy on FX’s The Bear. He juggled both productions because both shoot in Chicago.
> “It’s really fun,” Platt told the Associated Press. “It was very easy for me to drop into being Dr. Charles. I’ve been doing it for eight years, but Uncle Jimmy is relatively new.”
Despite the extra workload, Platt has praised the relevance of Charles’s mental-health storylines.
> “So many mental health issues, they’re treatable. The main thing is to get people to ask for help,” he said. “I just love the fact that we tell stories that destigmatize mental-health issues that, on a good week, 10 million people will watch those stories, and so that’s a cool thing.”
Key Takeaways
- No final decision on Charles’s future has been revealed on-screen or off
- The character’s mental-health struggles are slated to intensify through the rest of season 11
- Oliver Platt remains under contract, balancing Chicago Med with his role on The Bear
- Fans will learn Charles’s choice in upcoming episodes, according to the showrunner’s roadmap
Viewers anxious for closure will need to keep watching, as the series continues to tease whether the psychiatrist who has guided patients through their darkest moments will now step away to heal himself.
