Who is Dr. Ripley on ‘Chicago Med?’

A new face joined the cast of Chicago Med for its ninth season, introducing fans to the eye-catching Dr. Mitch Ripley.

Dr. Ripley was unveiled with the show’s ninth season, which debuted on Jan. 17, 2024. Suave, handsome, and instantly interesting, the character’s as-yet bare background is already garnering plenty of interest. In the premier episode, it was revealed that he and Dr. Charles have a history, and not a good one. It seems Dr. Charles was, a good 20 years back, Ripley’s physician, and in Ripley’s mind he was over-medicated during his time in Charles’ care.

The dramatic intro of a new doctor into the Chicago Med family is stirring up the fanbase, as they theorize about where Ripley’s story will go and pick favorites for the remainder of season 9. The character’s actor, fresh off a stint in Big Sky, is quickly becoming a crowd-favorite, as he dazzles in his new role. 

Who is Dr. Ripley?

Dr. Ripley was only recently introduced to Chicago Med viewers, so we don’t know a huge amount about him just yet. What we do know, however, is that he’s a proficient emergency department physician with a complicated history.

Over the course of the season 9 premiere, it was revealed that Ripley experienced quite a bit of struggle in his youth. He and Dr. Charles met while Ripley was in a juvenile detention center two decades back, and Charles remembers the young Ripley as “violent” and “aggressive.” To combat his aggressive nature, it seems Ripley was placed on chemical restraints, or drugs intended to restrict a patient’s mental capacity and physical movement. They are still occasionally used today, but only in extreme cases.

Ripley clearly still has trauma from the use of chemical restraints on him when he was just a troubled child, but he’s come a long way from those long-ago days in juvie. More details about the complicated relationship he shares with Dr. Charles are sure to emerge over time, as fresh episodes of Chicago Med season 9 release, and viewers can’t wait to learn more. 

Who plays Dr. Ripley in Chicago Med?

Dr. Ripley is played by Australian actor Luke Mitchell. The handsome 38-year-old is already collecting fans in droves, as he emerges as a standout in Chicago Med’s latest season.

That’s on top of the solid fanbase Mitchell already boasted, after years on the big and small screen. He’s been acting since the late 2000s, when he was appearing in shows like H20: Just Add Water and The Tomorrow People. By the mid-2010’s he was finding roles in even more prominent projects, including a stint in the MCU. He played Lincoln Campbell in Marvels’ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, along with Blindspot, The Republic of Sarah, and Legacies. 

His new position as a vital character on Chicago Med only makes Mitchell more recognizable to a wide audience, and his growing popularity could lead to Dr. Ripley becoming a mainstay on the program. Only time will tell what the writers have in mind for the character, of course, but Ripley is easily interesting enough to stick around for at least a season or two.