We’re still in shock by the unexpected announcement from Chad Duell that he’ll be exiting the role of Michael Corinthos in General Hospital. It comes so soon after Kelly Monaco parted ways with the character Sam after roughly 21 years.
However, as the shock of Duell’s news wears off, we’ve found ourselves thinking about what may happen with Michael. Will the powers that be at General Hospital kill off the character, dealing another devastating blow to Carly (Laura Wright) and Sonny (Maurice Benard)? The duo has already suffered the loss of one child in Morgan (Bryan Craig).
Or perhaps Michael will face a prison stint for a future crime he’ll commit. Michael may not be a chip off the old block, maneuvering around Port Charles as a kingpin, but he’s not above coloring outside the lines of the law every now and then.
We also can’t rule out the possibility that Duell parts ways with the soap, but the character of Michael is recast. Some fans are already calling for former Michael portrayer Drew Garrett to immediately step back into the role, noting Michael off of the soap’s canvas will leave quite a void. Not for nothing, we tend to agree as Michael is currently in quite the explosive “love pentagon” with Willow (Katelyn MacMullen), Drew (Cameron Mathison), Nina (Cynthia Watros) and Sasha (Sofia Mattsson). Heck, Sasha believes she’s now pregnant with Michael’s child so he can’t leave. Right?
Whether Michael is murdered, sent to prison or simply recast as a baby storyline kicks off, we think the looming big change for Michael could lead to one surprising reunion — the reunion between Carly and Sonny.
As longtime General Hospital viewers, we can’t help but notice how long #CarSon has been separated this go-around. The on-again-off-again couple hasn’t been together for over three years, and up until this point, haven’t seemed to be inching any closer to rekindling things. Carly dated Drew and is now in a will-they-won’t-they courtship with Brennan (Charles Mesure), and Sonny married Nina and is somewhat dating Natalia (Eva LaRue). But things for Carly and Sonny could easily change.
Let’s say Michael is killed off the show or presumed to die. It’s easy to picture Carly and Sonny being consumed by grief and drawn together as they mourn and remember their happier times as a family with Michael (and Morgan for that matter). Carly may not feel she can turn to Brennan as this would be a problem he can’t fix, and Sonny has a pattern of turning to Carly in hard times and he could do so again, leaving Natalia out in the cold.
Now if Michael were to go to prison as a result of his revenge plot against Drew, that could also bring Carly and Sonny together, uniting in rage. As of publication, neither one of them knows that Drew slept with Michael’s wife and took a sledgehammer to Michael’s “happy family.” We can picture Carly and Sonny being furious at Drew for betraying Michael, and even more upset if Drew foils Michael’s plot for vengeance by getting Michael arrested for something. The exes may team up to get revenge on Drew themselves, and in the process start rekindling their former sparks.
And then there’s the prospect of a new Corinthos baby. Given the complicated way Sasha and Michael came to conceive and the heartbreaking pregnancy Sasha faced with Brando (Johnny Wactor), Carly and Sonny may come to be very protective of their pending new grandchild. Could their bonding over a baby lead to them again getting close? Maybe.
Of course, this is all speculation and we won’t know how Chad Duell parts ways with Michael until that moment happens early in 2025. Also, we’ll have to wait and see if whatever happens with Michael will finally put Carly and Sonny on the path of reconciliation. Regardless, we’ll be paying close attention.
New episodes of General Hospital air on weekdays on ABC. If you miss an episode, you can catch up on Hulu.
