General Hospital cast shakeup: Is GH headed for disaster?

2024 has been a rough year for General Hospital and the actors who work on the hit ABC soap.

Casting changes have taken over, and the canvas that once was Port Charles looks unfamiliar.

Some actors who left were expected, and some were newer additions who didn’t hold the weight of the other goodbyes.

However, when more than a few long-term actors (dare I say, vets?) leave, there begins questions about what the end goal is and what direction General Hospital is headed in.

General Hospital is the last remaining ABC soap, and I was shocked when it was chosen to continue. All My Children and One Life to Live were much better, in my opinion, though I had watched all three for decades.

Now, it seems there could be trouble for the long-running soap as many viewers are still reeling from recent casting decisions.

Shocking General Hospital exits

Kelly Monaco was fired from the ABC soap after two decades on General Hospital and even more years with the network as she appeared on Port Charles, the GH spinoff.

Although she has been backburnered for years, it was still a shock to learn they fired her and killed off the character. She was used to prop up the return of Lulu (Alexa Havins), who was also recast after four years off-screen.

Chad Duell announced he was walking away from the show after 14 years of playing Michael Corinthos. His life changed as he became a first-time father, which may have contributed to his decision.

Tristan Rogers and Emma Samms took Robert and Holly off-screen during a storyline that was unnecessary to begin with. While we assumed Holly was back to stir up trouble and leave again, Robert leaving with her wasn’t anything we expected.

Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Avery Pohl exited the General Hospital canvas earlier this year. We knew Spencer would be off-screen as Nicholas was filming the Menendez Netflix show, but we fully expected him to return. Unfortunately, he opted not to come back, and Spencer remains “dead” with no body found. Esme went overboard with Spencer, and her exit was expected, though some believed she would pop back up because surely a villain has nine lives on a soap.

Michael Easton exited General Hospital, though the circumstances surrounding it remain murky. He has played several characters in Port Charles, but Hamilton Finn was the latest. The writers destroyed his character and sent him to Seattle, where Violet (Jophielle Love) eventually followed. His relationship with Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst) was destroyed, leaving her available for a Lucky (Jonathan Jackson) reconciliation.

General Hospital is a mess

I don’t know what’s happened to General Hospital, but it’s almost unrecognizable these days.

The show brought back Jonathan Jackson, yet he’s been lurking in the background, debating running off to Africa again. What was the point?

Michael is exiting the canvas with no plans to recast the character, so what do they plan on doing with him? Currently, he is involved in an infidelity storyline, and Sasha (Sofia Mattsson) could be pregnant. And when he leaves, will Willow (Katelyn MacMullen) go with him?

Robert and Holly left just as it was revealed that Sasha was their daughter. The whole storyline was unnecessary and pulled Sasha away from Cody (Josh Kelly) for no reason. Robert and Holly’s fans got their “happily ever after,” but who cares? They were big four decades ago, and making it right now seems like a waste.

Things are progressively sliding backward, and it doesn’t bode well for longevity. The writers should be changed, and perhaps TPTB should be trolling fan groups and X for ideas that will keep viewers tuning in.

If they aren’t careful, their viewers could jump ship to their competition on CBS and Peacock.

Let us know in the comments what you think about General Hospital’s future and the recent casting changes.

General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC.