General Hospital Alum Chad Duell (Michael Corinthos) Confirms He’s Ready To Return To Soaps

General Hospital alum Chad Duell’s shocking decision to leave the Michael Corinthos role in 2024 after close to 15 years was surprising, to say the least.

While the ABC soap ended up recasting the part to Rory Gibson later that year, Duell recently noted he was shocked by the show’s decision to replace him, and he’s eager to return to daytime drama.

Chad Duell Was Blindsided By The Recast

During an interview with Michael Fairman, Duell talked about his exit from General Hospital. He notes he was surprised about the soap recasting of Michael.

Duell states that, “I didn’t think they were going to bring somebody back in my place. But you know, it’s the business. You never know what can happen.”

As fans know, Duell needed some time away from work after a hard period in his life where he not only had to grieve the passing of his dad but also welcomed a new son into the world. He needed to take a step back to refuel.

Duell adds, “I didn’t want to be like, ‘Hey, see ya!’ I wanted to let them have time, like three months or so [to] flesh out a storyline to get me to step away for a bit.”

Michael ended up being badly burned in a fire explosion at his father’s, Sonny Corinthos’ (Maurice Benard) penthouse in early 2025.

At the time of Duell’s exit, the soap’s executive producer, Frank Valentini, posted on X, “There are no plans to recast his role at this time, but you never know in daytime.”

Duell’s last show aired in January 2025, and in May of that year, Gibson debuted as the recast.

Duell’s Return To Soaps

During the Michael Fairman interview, Duell expressed how much he missed the people and energy at General Hospital. The actor stated that he’s ready to return to soaps and would be open to joining another daytime drama.

Duell added that, “I know people over at Bold and the Beautiful, Young and the Restless.” He also noted that he’s let it be known to other soaps that he’s interested and, “… would love to come in for a screen test or something, and they can see what I’m doing.”

Would you like to see Chad Duell back in daytime drama? Comment below! Catch the popular ABC soap daily for all the exciting moments and visit this site often for the best General Hospital updates, spoilers, and news.