General Hospital spoilers: Sonny asks Jason to take over the business, but Jason turns him down?

We have to admit, we’re still in shock that the General Hospital episode airing on December 30 ended with Sonny (Maurice Benard) grabbing his chest and collapsing to the floor of the boxing ring in his gym. While it was previously foreshadowed that he would soon face a health crisis, we consider him to be a staple of the soap. He’s the Dimpled Kingpin of Port Charles, and he brings a certain level of drama that we can’t imagine General Hospital being without.

Now to be clear, there has been no word that Benard’s Sonny is leaving the series. So fans of the General Hospital character can breathe a sigh of relief for now. Additionally, show clues indicate that Sonny will soon become conscious enough to consider what his future looks like. If he had some kind of heart attack, he understandably may contemplate if his current lifestyle is a threat to his health.

We can imagine it’s rather stressful running a criminal empire, constantly fighting against threats from law enforcement and rival crimelords trying to take over your territory. Not to mention, Sonny is a doting father and is in the midst of being concerned about Kristina (Kate Mansi), Michael (Chad Duell) and Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) who are all going through some dark times. Plus, he’s fighting with Ava (Maura West) for custody of Avery (Ava & Grace Scarola).

If Sonny decides he has to make some lifestyle changes and prioritizes being around for his family, he may think about retiring from the underworld. He’s smart enough to know he can’t exactly just walk from a life of crime. If his theoretical retirement isn’t handled properly, his rivals in organized crime may try to swoop in and claim his territory. This could be dangerous for Port Charles if the wrong hands acquire his property and bring even more crime and danger to the city.

In addition, certain rivals may consider Sonny and his family to be a threat even if Sonny retires, so they could seek to eliminate the Corinthos clan. Viewers can recall the latter scenario is the whole reason why Carly (Laura Wright) stepped in as the head of the Corinthos Organization when Sonny was thought to be dead a few years ago.

So should it turn out that Sonny wants out of the business or at least wants a break from it while he gets his health in order, he’ll likely want someone he trusts to manage things. That person is obviously Jason (Steve Burton). Jason is Sonny’s best friend, has been Sonny’s right-hand man in the criminal empire for decades and no one is more lethal than Stone Cold. Additionally, Sonny knows Jason will go above and beyond to protect his family.

Unfortunately for the Corinthos patriarch, we don’t think Jason would want to step into the role of mob boss if he’s offered the role. Now that Jason is the only surviving parent to Danny (Asher Antonyzyn), he might not want to do anything that risks taking him away from his son. As a mob boss, Jason could be arrested by cops or killed by enemies at any time, so would he really want to be in a position that threatens him being there for Danny? Additionally, Danny’s own life could be placed in jeopardy if Jason takes on the role, as some enemies have no problem going after wives and children.

We should also mention that with Jason back in the Quatermaine fold and living at the mansion, his replacing Sonny puts a target on the Quartermaines. Rivals could come knocking on the door and ready to take out any number of family members at the home, and as of publication, it's a packed house.

Having said all of that, if Jason rejects Sonny’s job offer, we have to wonder who could become the next mob boss of Port Charles. Could it be Kristina much to the chagrin of Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn)? Over the last year, there have been a number of statements made about how much Kristina is like Sonny, and with Kristina no longer ignorant of his business, would she force her way to be his replacement?

It may be a long shot, but we wouldn’t be completely surprised if Lucky (Jonathan Jackson) steps into Sonny’s shoes. Yes, Lucky used to be a cop and his mother is the mayor. However, Lucky like his father has a good friendship with Sonny, and Lucky recognizes the “good” aspects of Sonny’s dealings. Plus, Lucky has a hero complex, so he might think filling in for Sonny is “necessary” to prevent a vile and dangerous player from taking over and posing a big threat to Port Charles. Laura (Genie Francis) would likely be furious with her son if this all turns out to be the case, but something tells us she’d be slightly less upset than Alexis would be with Kristina.

Again, this is all speculation at this point, but we have a strong feeling there are some changes on the horizon for General Hospital.

New episodes of General Hospital air on weekdays on ABC. If you miss an episode, you can catch up on Hulu.