Steve Burton's Return To General Hospital May End Sooner Than We Thought
When Steve Burton appeared at the end of the primetime special "General Hospital: 60 Years of Stars and Storytelling" and Soap Opera Digest later confirmed he was returning as beloved mob enforcer Jason Morgan, the fandom collectively jumped for joy. After being fired in 2021 for refusing to submit to the show's COVID-19 vaccine directive, his character Jason was seemingly killed off in a cave-in, although his body wasn't found, leaving things open for a future return. Because ABC's mandate is no more, that future is now, and many citizens of Port Charles desperately need Jason.
However, much to the fans' chagrin, his return may be short-lived. In November 2021, after being let go from the sudser, Burton posted a video on Instagram clarifying what happened and optimistically stating, "I believe that when one door closes, multiple doors open." In an interview with ABC7 posted on January 10 in which he discussed his return to "GH," Burton explained: "Where I am in my life, you know I feel like I have another ... I don't know, it's a feeling right now and I don't like to go on feelings all the time, but another two to three years of acting." He referenced his Instagram post where he stated he'd "Love to finish my career [at 'GH']."
But what does this mean for Jason, the character's friends and family, and the fans?
Is Steve Burton actually leaving General Hospital?
Despite Steve Burton stating that he might retire from acting within a couple of years, it has not been publicly reported what length of time his "General Hospital" contract is for. In his ABC7 interview, he didn't seem like he truly would stop acting any time soon. He's certainly going to need a steady income, considering his recent, messy divorce from Sheree Gustin.
There are enough stories to keep Burton's character busy for several years. Fans also want to see Jason reunite with his ex-wife Sam McCall, which could put a crimp in her relationship with Dante Falconeri (Dominic Zamprogna). His second best friend, Damian Spinelli (Bradford Anderson), has been severely underused since Jason's "demise," so his return would be a great way to get the computer hacker back in action.
Fan favorite Maurice Benard, who plays Jason's boss and first best friend Sonny Corinthos, has stated several times that he's leaving, including in April 2022 on his show "State of Mind" where he said: "Acting... I don't know when, but soon enough, I'll be done with. Sorry. I hate to say that, but it's the truth." But he has yet to follow through on that, and Sonny's going to need his best enforcer to take on the bad guys. Fans will be devastated if Burton leaves yet again in such a short time, so hopefully his statement was just musings and not reality.