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Vanessa Marcil and Ingo Rademacher To Return For General Hospital's 50th!

By Michael Fairman

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Courtesy/ABC

Courtesy/ABC

Brenda and Jax are coming back!  Word this afternoon exclusively from EW.com has Vanessa Marcil (Brenda) and Ingo Rademacher (Jax) making a return for General Hospital’s 50th anniversary!  Look for their return date to the ABC soap happen before the April 1 celebration.

There is some additional news that the infamous love triangle between Sonny/Jax/Brenda will be reunited! Meaning Maurice Benard (Sonny) will get mixed up in their return too!

Ingo will be getting a lot of play on ABC these days with the Aussie heartthrob about to debut on the sixteenth season of Dancing with the Stars in two weeks and then returning as Jax on GH!  Good cross-promotion, wouldn’t you say peeps?

So GHers, excited about Vanessa and Ingo’s return to GH?  Let us know!

 

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Lets see how Frank & Ron portray the Brenda character this time around. Vanessa’s last return was a total disaster.

I agree. It was awful, a big waste.

I’m sure that Ron Carlivati will do justice to Brenda because anything could be better than that awful storyline with the Balkan.

I agree, and Michael is right, Ron Carlvati will do justice for Brenda, The last time she showed up in Port Charles it was awful.

100% agree! She’s my all time favorite and last time the writers made me cringe when she was on screen being all weak, whiney and clingy…Something I would have never imagined I could feel towards her! I have total faith in the new writing crew though that they will do her justice since they seem to be kicking ass right now and Brenda will kick ass too just like she did back in the day!!! I wish this return was permanent for both of them!

Let’s hope we don’t see any more of those ridiculously long armed sweaters she wore last time or that obnoxious fake laugh!

Haha…well those sweaters are kind of in style…Anna wears them too, but I’m with you on that OBNOXIOUS, annoying and fake laugh. It was so bizarre!

You are right about those long sleeved sweaters, Whats that all about? I also agree with you about the laugh, maybe she was laughing at the stupid script she was given, Because her Time at GH was a waste of time.

Sonny is already in a love triangle with Kate and Connie. lol

I know, right, jim? 🙂

Connie is gone.

Connie isnt gone. shes just hiding 4 now.

I kinda miss Connie…she was funny and entertaining! I always liked Tess on OLTL…Jess’s alter ego. She was hilarious!

Only if they do it right. Not the whinny teenage Brenda who use to run after Jagger but the Brenda who got shot at in the shower and in a heart wrenching scene begged Sonny not to go and to forgive her. We want the grown-up Brenda and Sonny who know how to make decisions without destroying everyone around them. We want the Jax who we first saw when Louise first met him in his penthouse. Not the jerk who faked his death and tried to steal his daughter. That was never the real Jax. If the new team can write a real story ala Agnes Nixon then yes I will watch every moment with delight like its 1995 again.

Agree completely! That horrible Jax is moustashe Jax… hopefully we get the Jax we know and love!

Aw, 1995 was a great year of storytelling on GH….Loved it!

Jeez, be grateful she’s back at all!

OMG it’s on ,GH will be rockin!

vanessa marcil very happy she is coming back to general hospital. give her a good storyline and sign her to a contract. when she came back 3 years ago it was a huge disaster. dumb writing and bad storylines. ingo welcome back to general hospital and good luck with dancing with the stars. vanessa marcil welcome back to general hospital.

I adore Vanessa and Ingo. I hated that her last appearance was…..well, not the best storytelling. lol. In no fault to her own. But I think with Ron at the lead, he can make this a def story worth watching! And Ingo can do No wrong in my Eyes. I’m excited.

Noo to Brenda

As soon as I heard that Ingo was DWTS, i knew he would be there for the 50th, Jax most likely fund the ball like he used to.

Vanessa was a shock. I thoght she was gone for good as her resent disastrous return.

Good call! Jax can fund the ball!!!

Great to have them back!!! I wish Jax and Carly could get together! Would love to see Brenda and Sonny back together too with a better storyline this time!

me too! Well, except I love Roger Howarth but looks like he has to do his time on OLTL so good time for Jax to return again.

I’m so over Brenda and Sonny together. No way. I’m sure Brenda will only be back for a short time, so don’t ruin any current story lines for her.
Maybe she’s coming back to be a big act for the nurses ball.

NO!!!! I like Carly and Todd together! Roger is only going to OLTL for four weeks and will be back at GH right after! Todd is one of my favorite characters on GH right now!

I believe Roger will be back and forth. PP owns the Todd character. They can not have Todd on air on GH during a period he is on air for OLTL. So they have to coordinate that. PP may let him visit but they own the character and will not just let him be on GH all the time.
That said, I like the writing for Todd much better on GH than OLTL. Roger Howarth has never looked better. He must have been working out at the gym a lot and eating well. If he’s reading it, keep up whatever you’re doing because you’re looking great

No! Roger is going to OLTL to get it started. OLTL does not even have Todd in its cast list. It also doesn’t list John or Star for that matter! PP is allowing Todd to remain a regular on GH!

RC……

Is good that you got Ingar he’s a lovely!!

But Vanessa is hog with her storylines! !!!!

Please don’t let her HOG the showxup!!

ps…….please put together John and Sam together and their children
with them also
And maybe through Jax in the mix with John and Sam!!!

Remember she was with Jax back in 2003

Welcome back IR!!!!!!

Vanessa Marcil could have stayed where she was at….or maybe she be saddle

With Sonny Corthios!!

RC is doing a wonderful job with the RETURNS!!!

I started watching GH when Brenda and Sonny were flirting and it was very sexy. They were amazing together.

This last visit by Vanessa Marcil was horribly written. I came back for it, but ended up leaving when they threw poor Dante into it. What a mess.

I just hope they do the characters justice and really give the actors a reason to come back on our screens.

I may be in the minority here, but I really don’t care if Vanessa Marcil returns. I never watched GH when she was on before, but I saw her on 90210 and was not a fan of her acting. I also really like Sonny with Kate. I know that is going to get a YUCK but I want people to know that there are some Sonny and Kate fans out there!

I agree. I was never a big Brenda fan, but when it’s written well, at least it’s enjoyable. The last time it was dumber than dumb, made no sense whatsoever. I do not want it to break up Sonny and Kate. When they had her with Dante at one time that was interesting for a while.

Personally, after getting to “know” Connie for so long, I kind of prefer her to Kate. The way she & Sonny were warming up to each other was a nice development. Watching Kate now seems so bland without the spark and comedy that the actress brought to the role of Connie.

Kinda sick of her coming and going all the time. It’s just a personal opinion of mine, but I don’t like it when fan favorites come and go a million times over….Go away and stay away, or come back for good. To me, nothing makes me madder than to hear someone’s coming back, but then they’re only there for like a month. Why bother?

best news in a decade!!! vanessa returning WITH a good writing team. i hope she’s a core, central character with juicy, history-laden storyline.

WOO HOO! Jax is back! Now, if we find out that Jax and Brenda have been off screen raising their son, I’ll be happy!

Now thats whar im talkin about!

Am I supposed to be excited that the whiniest, most overrated, over exposed and self-absorbed character ever to hit GH is returning once again to spray her magical fairy dust all over everybody? If this is the news that’s supposed to bring me back to GH, no thanks, I’ll pass.

Glad Ingo will reprise his role again.

Now where is the news of Kimberly McCullough’s return for the 50th? That’s the one I care about, and only if there’s FINALLY movement (“storylines moving at a quicker pace” my ass!) on locating her and reuniting with Patrick and Emma.

It’s hard to have movement on that storyline when Kimberly McCullough isn’t available. You kinda need her around to move the storyline, don’t you?

That’s why this particular storyline has moved at a slower pace. They’ve worked around her schedule when she’s available, but I don’t think there’s any point in having Robin located and reuniting her with Patrick and Emma until if and when she’s able to commit more time to the show. That’s the way I look at it.

Why do all of that if they’re only going to have to write Robin out again, because Kimberly isn’t available?

That would more have to be up to K.M. than the writers for her to return full time to the show because the actress chose to leave to do other things and agreed herself to appear occasionally. It wouldnt make sense to have Robin reunite with Patrick and Emma unless the actress agrees to return full time otherwise if shes there with her family on occasion she’ll look like a deadbeat mom who didnt care about her family. The writers mistake was showing Robin alive at all knowing the actress agreed to show up only on occasion and shouldve waited to see if she would come back full time. Now knowing shes alive its difficult for some of us to see Patrick with Sabrina or any other woman which kinda stagnates this storyline.

Thanks both for your reply. I am aware of Kimberly’s work situation and understand the writers are in a bind. I know she has projects and dreams she wants to pursue. But as a fan, in my heart, I can’t help it. I want Robin reunited with Patrick already. In terms of what they can do in the meantime while KMc is unavailable, why not try keeping the storyline moving in other ways? Patrick getting a mysterious letter? Robert on the hunt for his daughter? Hell, a premonition from Olivia (she’s been having those, hasn’t she?)?

My wish, which has been my wish all along- and you can wag your fingers and disagree all you want, but it’s my opinion- is that Jason Thompson leaves to pursue other options, thus making Kimberly McCullough’s return quicker (which she would never NOT do for JT) and Scrubs’ reunion happen and to the point (no will he or won’t he garbage). It would also mean they wouldn’t need to rely on KMc for more than a few days/weeks, rather than a full time commitment if JT were staying with the show longterm. That for me would be the best scenario.

One way or another their reunion will happen, I know that much for certain. I think RC even said as much as he can’t wait for the day Patrick sees Robin. But in the meanwhile the story doesn’t have to be at a standstill. They just need to be creative.

Jules, I have to agree with you about the whiniest, Overrated, Over exposed, Self centered Character coming back to GH, Brenda was never a favorite of mine either and Sonny and Brenda, Boring.

They are both boring. But I do respect the fact that they are coming back to celebrate GH’s 50th anniversary. This anniversary celebration promises to be just amazing!

I am excited! Have always loved the character of Brenda! Happy she’s back for the 50th…it seems appropriate especially since she was absent from both Robin & Edward’s funerals.

I fell in love with GH back during the Sonny – Brenda- Jax love triangle and am thrilled to hear that Ingo and Vanessa will be back to resurrect it in some fashion. Brenda is always a blast to watch and I’m excited to see her back. Good job GH.

If I have to watch Brenda with Scummy round 10003,I will barf, DVR the show so I can FF them, enough already.
I am still angry at Jax for when he left Sky’s and his wedding bed to run back to Brenda. I guess he got his being put with Carley destroyed his character, what a wuss. All roads lead to Carley and when they do,DVR and FF.
Right now I watch live, commercials and all but that can and will change.
I am looking forward to the nurses ball , and all I can say is thank goodness neither of them sing or dance! I
The last time Brenda returned was a joke but then anytime they put them together they are a joke.

I hope this visit she gets a better story then she did the Last time she showed up In Port Charles, She was boring, (The old writers fault) I am sure that this time around it will be worth it for her to come back.

How about bring back Skye for Jax and Brenda can leave town with Jagger!!? ( i hear Antonio Sabato jr wants to return to GH)

Great news! Hopefully they’ll both have good storylines this time. Would love to see Rena Sofer as Lois, and Ned loved the interaction between Lois, Sonny & Brenda in the old days and Lois could be a bridge to include Olivia and Connie/Kate since they were all from the “old neighborhood” I liked Jax’s most recent return with the new writers, hope he has more to do this time.

Hopefully Brenda isn’t whiny and selfish. I hope to see Brenda VS. Kate, and maybe even temporarily Connie during her return. Hopefully she’ll stick around this time, too.

Happy for Jax’s return. Reunite him and Carly immediately!

4 those who don’t care 4 Brenda because of her last return
& never saw the character 4 who she is, find it on YouTube.

Brenda is sorta a BIG thing & NO RECAST has EVER
been done because of fans adorations as VM as the only
Actress who can bring Brenda to life (writing is NOT her fault)

I don’t think Brenda’s last return in 2o1o was all that bad. Brenda returned in 2oo3 after her death was revealed to be faked and she was alive. That scene of her and Sonny at the church when he was being shot is prob. hands down one of the best scenes in Daytime history. But Brenda left on a sad note after Jax left her at the church. When she came back in 2o1o my only issue as a die hard Brenda fan was the way her story ended with the aftermath after she married Sonny, and left yet again to Rome.

Brenda is one of the last Great Daytime icons so anytime she’s on GH I’ll always tune in because I know her story as a bad girl teenager, heart felt lover, and a woman who’s had her share of heartbreaks. I hope Vanessa’s stay is longer, and we finally get a great cat fight with Carly. I’ve been waiting for these 2 to go crazy at each other for a very long time.

General Hospital

Chris McKenna Reportedly Out as ‘General Hospital’s’ Jack Brennan

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Chris McKenna

As ABC’s General Hospital continues to make casting additions in front of the camera; a new report indicates that Chris McKenna is the next contract player to be written out of the show as his storyline as Port Charles WSB bureau chief, Jack Brennan, is coming to end this fall.

According to sources close to the situation, who informed Soap Opera Network, McKenna will exit the long-running soap opera when Jack is killed-off the canvas. The outlet shares, Brennan’s death will come about as the soap, “leans heavily into storylines surrounding the World Security Bureau (WSB).”

McKenna, who previously appeared on the soaps when he was 12 as a young Joey Buchanan on One Life to Live from 1990-1993, then as an adult as Mark Harding on The Young and the Restless from 2014-2015, and next on The Bold and the Beautiful in the short term role of Dr. Hayden,  began his run as GH’s Brennan back in February of 2025, replacing Charles Mesure in the role.

Chris McKenna

Photo: ABC

JACK’S ROCKY ROAD TO ROMANCE

In fact, McKenna won the part over Daniel Goddard and Daniel Cosgrove, who eventually were cast in other roles on General Hospital, that of Henry Dalton and Ezra Boyle, respectively. Chris informed his fans via X,  back in August of 2025, that he was put on contract at the daytime drama and thanked them for helping make it happen.

Chris told Michael Fairman TV how it was to step into the role previously played by Charles Mesure, “I knew the challenge it was going to be and I had a like 0nly five days to get my head around it, so I was ready for it. Sure, it was challenging, but I was up for it. I was a recast before on The Young and the Restless.”

On-screen, Jack became romantically involved with Carly Spencer (Laura Wright), but that went bust when Carly learned Jack was not up front with her and had secretly enlisted her daughter, Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy) to join the WSB.  Over months, Carly plotted to get revenge on Jack, and suddenly, Valentin Casssadine (James Patrick Stuart), Jack’s mortal enemy, came into the picture and he had fallen for Carly and she for him.

Now, Jack has started up a relationship with Nina Reeves (Cynthia Watros) and has found himself in situations stooping to lows to help Nina and her criminal daughter, Willow Cain (Katelyn MacMullen) out of jams, especially where Drew Cain (Cameron Mathison) is concerned.

Erika Slezak, Chris McKenna

Photo: ABC

REUNITING WITH ERIKA SLEZAK

Last fall, Chris got a thrill of a lifetime when his OG on-screen mother from One Life to Live, the iconic Erika Slezak (ex-Viki) took on a guest role on General Hospital as Ronnie Bard, the secret sister of Monica Quartermaine (the late Leslie Charleson). While the two did not have a storyline together, Chris did share some tender moments reconnecting with Erika on the set,

McKenna has a laundry list of primetime credits including: State of Affairs, Good Trouble, Lucifer and Castle, where in an ironic twist he appeared alongside another Joey Buchanan none other than Nathan Fillion.

So, how do you feel if the report holds true and GH is killing off Brennan and Chris McKenna would exit the show? How do you think Brennan will die on GH? Will he be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and someone will take him out? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section.

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General Hospital

Ryan Paevey Open to Return to ‘General Hospital’ to ‘Stir the Pot if Cassius Could be a Good Agent of Chaos’

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Ryan Paevey

On General Hospital, Ryan Paevey wrapped his comeback to General Hospital on the July 6 episode, when it was revealed that Cassius Faison was not dead, but being held by the WSB thanks to Z (John Oliver).

It was Z who gave Cassius an ultimatum: a one-way ticket to prison or a death sentence, or to become an agent himself! We never got the answer on-screen, but suffice to say, Cassius is still out there somewhere, but we can assume he is working for the WSB.

GH fans were thrilled to see Paevey back on the ABC daytime drama series where he initially played the very popular Detective Nathan West from 2013-2018. It had been over 7 years until Ryan made a return to his former soap stomping grounds when on-screen in September of 2025, he arrived in Port Charles as a very much alive Nathan, who was actually Cassius impersonating his late twin brother.

Photo: ABC

Over this past weekend, Paevey appeared at the annual GH Fan Club Weekend in Burbank, California, where according to a report from Soap Central who was on the scene; when a fan asked Ryan if he would make another visit to the soap opera in the future, he explained, “That’s a ‘Frank Chat,’ referencing a discussion would need to be had with Frank Valentini, GH’s executive producer.

A CASSIUS FAISON SIGHTING ANYTIME SOON?

Ryan also added, “I’m a bit of a drifter. So, I’m not sure that I want to go back and sign forever. Doing so took a lot of things out of my life, stuff that is valuable to me.” Paevey also explained while he was away from GH he was caretaker to his parents and working on his Fortunate Wanderer jewelry business and more.

However, Paevey concluded his thoughts on the matter with, “But, yeah, I would come back and stir the pot if Cassius could be a good agent of chaos… a conversation might be had with Frank about exactly what ‘not dead’ means.”

All this to say, would you like to see Ryan make another comeback to General Hospital? This time as WSB agent Cassius Faison? Do you think he would help out his sister, Britt and his mutter, and even Josslyn, if they got into serious future trouble? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Christian Howard Makes One Final Return as Ethan Lovett, as Hudson Learns Damning Intel

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The Tuesday, August 4 episode of General Hospital brought with it another appearance by Christian Howard in the role of Ethan Lovett. As previously reported, Howard was brought into wrap up Ethan’s storyline as Nathan Dean’s four-month run with the show came to its conclusion.

Now, it has been 100% officially confirmed that today was the last episode of Howard as the recast Ethan. In story, Ethan was now seen in Oslo, Norway after hightailing it out of Port Charles after Hudson (Troy Lennon Appel) had showed up looking for him at the Metro Court pool in Port Charles.

On the July 31st episode, Ethan made a beeline to Lulu’s (Alexa Havins) grabbed his bags and headed out of the country without saying goodbye to Ava (Maura West), who he just had spent the night with.

Christian Howard

Courtesy/ABC

However, on Tuesday’s GH, it was also the day where Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn) finalized baby Phoebe’s adoption for Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) and Chase (Josh Swickard). This was juxtaposed with the action in Oslo where Hudson showed up at Ethan’s hotel room door. He demanded immediate answers about Delilah and the baby. Ethan told him that both Delilah and the baby she carried died.

ETHAN’S LIES CATCH UP TO HIM

Hudson is livid. The two get into multiple altercations with Hudson getting the upper hand claiming that Ethan is a thief, who had “stolen from the wrong man.” At that point, Hudson delivered a beatdown on Ethan. Next, he threatened Ethan that he will go after his entire family if he finds out he was lying to him.

Back in Port Charles at the Metro Court pool, Ava is lamenting about Ethan’s sudden disappearance to Trina (Tabyana Ali). Later alone, she gets a call from Ethan telling her to never reveal that he’s not Phoebe’s biological father. Cut to: Hudson out in the hotel hallway listening in on the call through a bug he planted in Ethan’s hotel room. Hudson then takes off. The final moment of Ethan’s is him sprawled out bloody on top of the hotel bed.

A GH rep told Soap Opera Digest that “the door is open for Ethan to return to Port Charles” in the future. And as previously reported by TV Insider, when Nathan Dean signed on for his four month return, it was due in part to that he and his wife announced back in March they were expecting a baby.

So, now that Christian Howard has officially exited the series marking the end of the story for now of Ethan Lovett, what are your thoughts? Obviously, we will look for Hudson to return to Port Charles and infiltrate the Quartermaines lives especially Brook Lynn and Chase to get close to Phoebe, and then there is Ava, who may be in terrible danger, or is she? Share your thoughts and theories.

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