General Hospital spoilers and updates reveal that Michael Corinthos (Chad Duell) finds himself in a perilous situation when a sudden explosion ignites a fierce fire in Sonny Corinthos’ (Maurice Benard) penthouse. As flames engulf Michael, Sonny watches in horror, driven by an urgent need to rescue his son.
As the drama escalates to an unexpected climax, Sonny will want to rush into the raging inferno to rescue Michael, but Jason Morgan (Steve Burton) will hold him back. Sonny had just revealed to Jason his heart problems, so it’s understandable that if Jason allows Sonny to try to rescue Michael, he could have two potential victims on his hands.
In the end, it will be Jason who steps in to save Michael’s life. If not from injury, after guiding Sonny to safety, Jason will return to save Michael. The silver lining is that Michael’s life will be saved, but the harsh reality is that he will likely suffer from extensive burns across much of his body.
GH executive producer Frank Valentini has also discussed the possibility of recasting Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter). Although he’s leaving the door open for Chad Duell’s return for a while, Valentini has made it clear that there are currently no intentions to recast the role yet. He hasn’t completely dismissed the possibility of finding a new actor for Michael in the future should Chad Duell decide to return.
If Duell remains absent and the storyline necessitates Michael’s presence, a recast could very well be on the table. The writers have cleverly set the stage for this transition, as it appears Michael will be sent to a specialized clinic for his recovery from burns. He’ll be all bandaged up when he departs, and plastic surgery could account for a change in his appearance. Or perhaps not—remember how the Baronsky Clinic fixed Ava Jerome’s (Maura West) appearance perfectly?
When Michael returns down the road, he could present a strikingly different appearance thanks to a series of facial reconstructive surgeries. The bandages might come off to unveil a dashing new actor beneath. However, it seems the show is in no rush to recast, especially considering Valentini’s remarks and his intention to keep the door open for Duell for the time being.
In any case, Sonny will stop at nothing to unearth and confront the arsonist. So stay tuned for more predictions about what lies ahead following Michael’s exit. Upcoming spoilers indicate that this fire and Michael’s injuries will create quite a stir once the rest of Port Charles receives updates.
