As One Chicago Stars Talk ‘Living In The Same World’ For The Crossover, The Showrunners Are All In On Avengers: Endgame Comparisons

by

Time is running out until the three series of One Chicago unite for their first crossover since 2019. The upcoming event in the 2025 TV lineup requires everyone’s attention, as it brings together Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Med. Before the three-episode arc begins, actors Darren Barnet, Miranda Rae Mayo, and LaRoyce Hawkins shared insights in an exclusive behind-the-scenes video (viewable above), discussing their shared universe. Additionally, all three showrunners spoke to TopMob about how this year’s crossover will be on par with the grandeur of Avengers: Endgame.

What The One Chicago Stars Have Said

In the video you see, backstage snaps display the One Chicago cast enjoying themselves alongside stars from different shows. However, their fictional personas may not find much cause for cheer when the real drama unfolds on Wednesday evening.

The special event titled “In the Trenches” commences at 8 p.m. ET, starting with the series Chicago Fire. This episode will depict emergency responders joining forces after a gas explosion that left residents alarmed. Furthermore, there’s a subway tunnel collapse, potentially putting some key characters’ lives at risk. Adding to the drama is the inclusion of Chicago P.D., ensuring viewers can expect a criminal aspect to the disaster, following Chicago Med.

For Darren Barnet, portraying Dr. Frost, “In the Trenches” marks his initial crossover appearance following his debut on Med in Season 10. He expressed excitement about how his characters share a world with Miranda Rae Mayo’s and LaRoyce Hawkins’ shows.

For a while now, Mayo and Hawkins have been integral members of One Chicago. Thus, it’s not surprising that the lead actor of P.D. is well-versed when discussing the chemistry among co-stars. Remarkably, Mayo deftly steered clear of revealing any spoilers while simultaneously building excitement for the upcoming event.

As for the showrunners, they could get into a bit more detail about what’s on the way.

What The Showrunners Told Us

As a movie enthusiast who recently had the privilege of speaking with Andrea Newman, Gwen Sigan, and Allen MacDonald – the trio taking the reins as showrunners for “In the Trenches” – I couldn’t help but wonder about their thoughts on comparing the upcoming series to the epic scale of “Avengers: Endgame.” So, during our conversation on January 29, I delved into this topic with them, eager to hear their unique perspectives.

Allen MacDonald expressed his thoughts after being taken aback by the amount of information revealed in the crossover preview, regarding the comments made by the actor from Med.

I found that analogy quite effective. You see, Steven Weber is particularly skilled at delivering concise yet impactful statements, so his explanation was spot-on. It does seem fitting, and there are instances in the episodes where such hero shots occur, with all our characters marching in unison. In fact, I recall a similar scene in Med, where several characters walk down a hallway in a grand shot, and it’s quite impressive.

Med will instead air second in the 9 p.m. ET slot, which is typically reserved for Fire, allowing the firefighter drama to establish the catastrophe that triggers the crossover events. Upon verifying that Joe Cruz is indeed missing in “In the Trenches,” Andrea Newman found a similarity with “Avengers: Endgame.

I must concur! Watching it was like stepping into a movie, such was its cinematic beauty and captivating visuals. It’s astounding to think that three different directors were behind this masterpiece; their seamless collaboration makes the journey feel effortlessly smooth. I found myself questioning how it was even possible to have three distinct minds working together on one project – it seemed almost unbelievable. Yet, as I looked up after the final credits rolled, I realized that indeed, I had just experienced all three directors’ work. The multitude of events and characters coming together made me think of the Avengers, a fitting comparison, as each character contributes uniquely to the overall narrative.

Chicago P.D.’s supervisor, Gwen Sigan, assured us that the upcoming episode “In the Trenches” will have a more unified and cinematic feel compared to “Infection,” which was produced over five years ago. (You can stream this crossover with a Peacock subscription.) Upon hearing my reference to Steven Weber’s comparison to Avengers: Endgame, she enthusiastically agreed, before discussing the difficulties of working with three different directors for one movie-length event.

Working together extensively was crucial for the three authors and directors. They needed to stay in frequent contact, as they were using shared sets, a common cast, and making decisions collectively. If one writer cast a character who appears throughout all three hours, everyone had to approve this choice. It was essentially a collaborative process with numerous meetings involved. [laughs] Not exactly thrilling, but necessary.

The screenplay for this crossover was penned by Victor Teran (Fire), Joe Halpin (P.D.), and Stephen Hootstein (Med). These authors were initially assigned to propose concepts to Wolf Entertainment, after which the chosen storyline was developed. Notably, the scripts underwent significant contributions from Wolf Entertainment and the showrunners, as mentioned by Allen MacDonald.

Andrea, Gwen, and myself had active participation and exchanged ideas. One of the main topics we discussed was our unfamiliarity with writing each other’s characters once the scripts are drafted. We engaged in a bit of back-and-forth, such as, ‘I believe Voight would phrase it differently,’ or ‘That doesn’t seem like something Dr. Lenox would say in that manner.’ Together, we collaborated to resolve these differences.

At last, the much-anticipated three-part storyline where the One Chicago characters coexist is almost here! Don’t miss out tonight as NBC airs the “In the Trenches” crossover event, beginning with Chicago Fire at 8 p.m. Eastern Time, followed by Chicago Med at 9 p.m. ET, and wrapping up with Chicago P.D. at 10 p.m. ET. If you can’t catch it live, you can stream all three episodes tomorrow on Peacock.

Read More

2025-01-29 20:08