‘General Hospital’ Fall 2026 Preview: Sonny vs. Drew, Star-Crossed Lovers & the Brennan Mystery

After a wildly explosive summer, General Hospital is showing no signs of slowing down. With fall arriving in Port Charles, co-head writers Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten tease what’s ahead.

“Unexpected arrivals, unexpected romance and unexpected connections,” they tell TV Insider exclusively for Fall Preview. “Secrets are going to be exposed that will upend lives for better and worse — and new secrets will need to be kept. Relationships of all kinds will be jumbled as families grow in surprising ways; friends and enemies will reverse roles; and some current romances may give way to new romances.”

Generational conflict will take center stage as tensions between the Corinthos and Cain families reach a boiling point. “Scout [Cain, Kayden Brenna Tokarski] and Rocco [Falconeri, Finn Carr] are becoming our Romeo and Juliet, and a pair of star-crossed lovers needs a family feud to divide them. Scout is Drew’s [Cain, Cameron Mathison] daughter and Rocco is Sonny’s [Corinthos, Maurice Benard] grandson. The conflict between Sonny and Drew will continue to build with potentially fatal consequences.”

The canvas will also continue to expand. “We’ll introduce new characters — all of whom bear relationships to characters we already know — and we’ll be treated to returns from some familiar faces.”

Here, the writers preview what’s ahead as the leaves start to turn.

Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard)

“[Jenz] Sidwell’s [Carlo Rota] schemes dealt Sonny an unexpected boon. By wresting away the Port Charles piers — the source of the Corinthos criminal enterprise — he gave Sonny the chance to remain ‘out of the business.’ It’s the cleanest opportunity Sonny has ever had to escape a trap of his own making — starting the kind of business one can’t easily walk away from. Sonny and Justine’s [Turner, Nazneen Contractor] secret romance will deepen, even though neither is keen to go public. But their tenuous commitment will be tested when Sonny is faced with the hard truth that he can’t escape a reputation he nurtured for decades. Sonny’s adversaries will seek to use his past against him. Sonny may have left the mob, but has the mob left Sonny?”

Jason Morgan (Steve Burton)

“He’s going to do right by Danny [Morgan, Asher Antonyzyn] — he’s putting his criminal past behind him and looking to a new if uncertain future. Britt [Westbourne, Kelly Thiebaud] and Jason have come a long way and fought a lot of enemies to be together. But the most stubborn obstacle to their happiness isn’t without, it’s within. Decisions Britt made to stay alive while under [Ross] Cullum’s [Andrew Hawkes] thumb will come back to haunt her and may prove too difficult for this unlikely couple to survive.”

Anna Devane (Finola Hughes)

“Her visions of Peter [August, Wes Ramsey] — the representation of all the harm done to her and her family by Faison and his family — will lead her to a breaking point and may lead another person to an early grave.”

Carly Spencer (Laura Wright) and Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart)

“Storm clouds are gathering. Spoon Island is up for sale, and Valentin’s attempt at a happy homecoming is spoiled when his former home is bought out from under him by a mysterious person; Josslyn’s vendetta against Sonny may draw them into a growing inter-family conflict; Charlotte’s [Cassadine, Bluesy Burke] night swimming adventure threatens to pull Carly and Val under, too; but perhaps the greatest threat to their happiness is the return of the original love of Valentin’s life, Anna Devane.”

Brook Lynn Quartermaine (Amanda Setton) and Harrison Chase (Josh Swickard)

“Brook Lynn faces a tumultuous fall when the truth about her role in Curtis [Ashford, Donnell Turner] and Jordan’s [Ashford, Tanisha Harper] accident comes to light. The revelation will strain Gio’s [Palmieri, Giovanni Mazza] relationship with Trina [Robinson, Tabyana Ali], to say nothing of his fragile relationship with Brook Lynn, forcing him to make a difficult decision. The Quartermaines hold their breath as Tracy [Quartermaine, Jane Elliot] leads legal negotiations on Brook Lynn’s behalf, while Brook Lynn and Chase face a turning point. Her secret may finally unravel their marriage; worse, it may leave the family vulnerable when someone comes calling with a claim on Phoebe…”

Willow Tait (Katelyn MacMullen) and Michael Corinthos (Rory Gibson)

“She’s holding her head high, but she should be looking over her shoulder. Michael won’t be satisfied until she’s totally crushed and he’s removed their children from her influence. He throws in with Tracy to bring about Willow’s final defeat — which may also mean the end of his cousin Brook Lynn’s marriage to Chase.”

Nina Reeves (Cynthia Watros)

“Nina should’ve heeded Carly’s example and steered clear of [Jack] Brennan [Chris McKenna]. Their brief romance hit a brick wall when he came up against Willow. If you mess with her daughter, you mess with Nina – and she very publicly let him know it. The authorities will glom onto that when Brennan goes missing — and when physical evidence turns up suggesting Nina had something to do with it. Nina may face a dark future — but perhaps not as dark a future as those who seek her downfall….”

Drew Cain (Cameron Mathison) and Ava Jerome (Maura West)

“Drew associates Sonny with everything that has gone wrong in his life. After years of friendship, Sonny was all too quick to throw him over when Jason turned up alive. Sonny has it all and came by it unjustly — or so Drew feels. He intends to take it away. And Ava, Sonny’s eternal enemy, is only too happy to help. But before he can turn his full attention to Sonny, Drew and Ava must pivot to damage control. Their unholy alliance will have repercussions across the canvas for years to come.”

Serena Baldwin (Kelly Kruger) and Lucy Coe (Lynn Herring)

“Serena returns to town after a cad ran off with her inheritance — which she’d put to good use funding the defense of the environment. Serena has inherited her parents’ talent for scheming, but not their ruthlessness. Nevertheless, she heeds her mother’s call. Her efforts to rescue the family business from the Quartermaines will put her head-to-head against a surprising nemesis.”

Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali) and Kai Taylor (Jens Austin Astrup)

“Does Trina have a stalker? Or just a stan? Whoever it is may be a face on the canvas or off; someone who is unknown to us, or quite familiar; someone who hates her guts … or admires her very deeply. Kai is true blue and will step up to defend her — but his closeness to Trina may prove detrimental to his health.”

Emma Scorpio-Drake (Braedyn Bruner) and Gio Palmieri (Giovanni Mazza)

“Gio navigates a dicey situation when his mother’s lies come to light, and then again when accusations are leveled against Sonny. Tracy asks Gio and Emma to help hold down the fort when she goes out of town to assist a family member in trouble. Emma comes into conflict with Britt and Josslyn over Anna’s turmoil. Emma and Trina favor an assertive approach to dealing with Trina’s stalker, much to Kai and Gio’s chagrin. Emma’s efforts to unmask Trina’s stalker may put a target on her own back.”

Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner) and Jordan Ashford (Tanisha Harper)

“Curtis is heartbroken, imprisoned away from his beloved daughter and newborn son. Curtis’s proximity to Sidwell puts him in danger from those who seek to even the score. Events at Pentonville will make friends of enemies, and enemies of friends … and may also upend a romance or two. Curtis may find help from a surprising source … if he can live long enough to accept it. With Curtis out of the picture, Michael is relying more and more on Jordan’s help at Aurora. The two develop a special bond as survivors of a terrible, lasting injury, and the difficult recovery to follow. But a face from Jordan’s past will complicate her future. We’ll start to learn more about the woman Jordan was before she ever joined the DEA and came to Port Charles.”

Portia Robinson (Brook Kerr) and Isaiah Gannon (Sawandi Wilson)

“Portia and Isaiah try to move forward together with Dez, but without Curtis looming over them. That proves easier said than done when Curtis’s new legal representation presents them with an outrageous request. As if that wasn’t enough, the Ashford clan must contend with good intentions gone awry from a very unlikely party.”

Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst), Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) and Dante Falconeri (Dominic Zamprogna)

“Ric has the nagging feeling that Elizabeth and Dante are closer than they have any business being. Elizabeth and Dante are leaning on each other in ways neither ever dreamed of. Will their growing intimacy give way to physical intimacy? And if so, are there any lengths to which a spurned Ric won’t go to keep what’s his?”

Lulu Spencer (Alexa Havins)

“Trouble with Charlotte leads to a long overdue reckoning for Lulu and Valentin. On the professional front: Lulu breaks news that reveals a tawdry secret and implies there are more where that came from. But her scoop may cost her when the subject of the story slaps her with a defamation suit. Lulu needs a good lawyer because if this case goes to court, she stands to lose everything — but so do those she’s writing about.”

Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy)

“Josslyn gets new orders after a shakeup at the WSB. One thing that remains unchanged is her fixation on taking down Sonny. Joss ratchets up the tension — with a little help from Hudson [Parker, Troy Lennon Appel] — when she maneuvers to take away something precious to Sonny. But things get much worse when Josslyn expands her war from the business to the personal, involving Sonny’s family. The results will be bloody. Joss has her sights set on Sonny — but she’s a target, too. JJE is a big prize, and she isn’t the only one entitled to it.”

Danny Morgan (Asher Antonyzyn), Charlotte Cassadine (Bluesy Burke), Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr) and Scout Cain (Kayden Brenna Tokarski)

“Charlotte will draw on her Cassadine side to help Danny and Scout turn the tables on Drew. But her tactics will create more problems than solve, leading to a huge rupture in her family and a difficult lesson learned, as well as inflaming tensions between Danny and Rocco. Meanwhile, Rocco and Scout opt to conceal their growing closeness, knowing that they’d face stiff opposition from a number of interested parties, not the least of whom is Drew.”=

Alexis Davis (Nancy Lee Grahn)

“Alexis tries to provide a refuge for her granddaughter as Scout chafes at Drew’s restrictions. Through with appeasing Drew, Alexis will reach for any opportunity to permanently sever him from Scout. A past romance will rear its head in a surprising way.”

Lucas Jones (Van Hansis) and Joe Fitzpatrick (Jonathan Bennett)

“What began as a relationship of convenience — roommates — evolves into something warmer. Boundaries blur when Joe seeks Lucas’s input on an investigation, and then again when Lucas goes to bat for a loved one with Joe. Meanwhile, Lucas is a sounding board for a slew of confidantes: Ava, Carly, Elizabeth, even Britt. He’s paying a lot of attention to them, but who is paying attention to Lucas as more than a year of trauma and heartache begins to take its toll?”

Tristan Roberts (Dean Geyer)

“We will peel back the layers on the dashing doctor and learn about his past and connections to the canvas. Tristan’s medical knowledge and knack for being in the right place at the right time will prove pivotal to the mystery surrounding Brennan’s demise.”

Cody Bell (Josh Kelly) and Molly Lansing (Kristen Vaganos)

“Molly assumes a larger role within the DA’s office. The increased visibility results in a huge professional opportunity that could make or break her career. But taking her shot could mean saying goodbye to Cody. Molly’s decision will set in motion a series of events that will change the course of not only their relationship, but several others as well.”

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