Ray Wise Returning To The Young and the Restless – 2026 Airdate Confirmed

The Young and the Restless spoilers note a familiar face will pop back up in Genoa City come the new year. According to Soap Opera Digest, Ray Wise will return to the canvas in 2026, and CTS has all the details regarding this shocking comeback below.

Ian Ward Haunts Mariah Copeland

The Young and the Restless spoilers reveal that Wise will reprise his Ian Ward character. Teasers for the Friday, January 2 episode suggest Ian will haunt Mariah Copeland (Camryn Grimes), once again.

The last time fans saw Ian was some months back in October, when he appeared as a figment of Mariah’s imagination while she was at her mental health facility. Mariah had just had a visit from her wife, Tessa Porter (Cait Fairbanks), and Ian showed up to taunt her.

As such, it looks like lightning will strike twice, so it’ll be interesting to see what he tells Mariah this time around, and how his “visit” will add insight to the woman’s mental instability.

Ian’s History In GC

Ian entered the GC canvas in 2014 as the leader of the cult that Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott) was affiliated with in her younger years.

He also raised Mariah as a father figure in her life, where she was exposed to some toxic and emotional abuse. Ian Ward would exit storylines in 2016, only to return in November 2024, when fans found out that he and Jordan Howard (Colleen Zenk) teamed up to wreak havoc on the Newmans.

Their revenge plan shook the lives of the family, along with Mariah, as he tortured her mother, Sharon Newman (Sharon Case), too.

Ian was shot in January 2025 by Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) after an explosive confrontation, and while he was thought to be dead, viewers watched in horror as Ian’s eyes opened while in the ambulance on the way to the morgue.

It’s unclear if Ian will become more of a regular in the weeks and months ahead, so fans need to stay tuned to CTS for more updates.

Are you excited about Ian Ward’s return? Comment below! Tune into the CBS soap daily and check out this site often for the best Young and the Restless updates, spoilers, and news.