Noah Wyle just threw some cold water on the hopes of fans that The Pitt could stage an ER reunion anytime soon!
It’s been over thirty years since Wyle broke out as part of the original cast of ER. His run on the Emmy-winning, long-running NBC medical drama saw John Carter transition from a bumbling intern to a respected leader among the staff. He was a fixture for 12 seasons with a few appearances in the 15th.
Wyle has seen more success in TV, but nothing like The Pitt, which is produced by ER co-creator John Wells. The HBO drama has become one of the hottest shows in 2025, winning over viewers and near-universal critical acclaim. The frenetic look at a hospital overwhelmed by emergencies keeps viewers enthralled with its breakneck pace and fantastic cast.
The show looks ready to dominate the Emmys and perhaps earn Wyle a long-overdue statue. Work has already begun on season 2 with Wells, R. Scott Gemmill, and Wyle talking to Variety about what fans can expect. They teased that the series will utilize real-life recent events, from cuts to Medicaid to ICE raids, and explore how these will impact the hospital and its care.
However, Wyle has made it clear that one thing fans won’t expect to see in season 2 is a reunion between him and his ER castmates.
An ER reunion on The Pitt is unlikely
Wyle fits wonderfully into the cast of The Pitt thanks to his past experience in ER. That naturally has led fans to wonder if the series could add one of his many past co-stars in some sort of role. While George Clooney might be too busy, there’s still a cast including Julianna Margulies, Anthony Edwards, Maura Tierney, Eriq La Salle, Alex Kingston, and more who could appear on the show.
Wyle is aware of the hopes of fans of some sort of appearance but prefers to avoid as many connections between ER and The Pitt as possible.
“The success of this show has brought to our awareness that there’s some really high-profile actors that would love to come on our show, and it’s super tempting to want to go after them, but you run the risk of it being a little distracting. One of the great things about Cathy Sandrich, our casting director, is she brings in these people that you may know that work, but you don’t necessarily bring their intended baggage to the role that they’re playing for us; you’re able to believe them totally in the situation that we’re presenting. I feel like that’s a model that’s worth playing out as long as we can.”
There is some hope as Wyle added that “if there’s a role that requires somebody that has some real gravitas, that requires bringing somebody that would have a frame of reference, that’s really when it’s fun to bring those people in.”
It would be interesting to bring in some other ER actors to The Pitt. Many critics have noted that Wyle's performance is as if Carter continued his career as a top doctor. Having one of his ER co-stars coming in with much the same part or different in some way (like Margulies as a surgeon) would be a fun touch for fans.
At the same time, Wyle is right that such “stunt casting” can distract from the show and its powerful storylines. He and Wells are more focused on making the second season of the series shine on its own beyond some brief cameo by a former castmate. That’s not to say it won’t happen in the future, yet it’s not needed as The Pitt is more than watchable on its own.
So while there isn’t a planned ER reunion for The Pitt, perhaps it can happen one day to continue this smash hit show’s amazing run.
The Pitt streaming on HBO Max.