Burton made the big reveal during ABC’s General Hospital: 60 Years of Stars and Storytelling special.
Jason Morgan is returning to Port Charles.
More than two years after Steve Burton exited General Hospital, he’s back. The actor confirmed the news with a surprise appearance during ABC’s General Hospital: 60 Years of Stars and Storytelling special on Thursday night.
The announcement was a Marvel-style post-credits reveal, with Burton popping up at the very end of the show alongside Laura Wright and Kelly Monaco to say, “Happy anniversary, General Hospital. Stay tuned, big things are coming to Port Charles.”
Those big things, of course, include his return.
The news comes just one day after the actor announced he had wrapped his role on Days of Our Lives, on which he’s been starring as Harris Michaels for about a year.
“Wow! Well, I just shot my final scenes here at Days of Our Lives,” he said in a video shared Wednesday. “I just want to say thank you so much to the cast [and] to the crew. Everybody. It’s been amazing.”
“I can’t believe it’s been a year already! So, thank you so much to the fans. It’s just, I’m always so full of gratitude. So thank you!” he concluded, before telling fans to “stay tuned” for his next gig … which has now been confirmed.
Burton, who joined GH as Jason Morgan in 1991, was booted from the series in 2021 after refusing to comply with the show’s vaccine mandate. At the time of his exit, a tunnel collapse appeared to claim his life.
“I know there’s been a lot of rumors and speculations about me and General Hospital and I wanted you to hear it from me personally. Unfortunately, ‘General Hospital’ has let me go because of the vaccine mandate,” Burton shared in an Instagram video in 2021.
“I did apply for my medical and religious exemptions and both of those were denied, which hurts, but this is also about personal freedom to me,” he continued. “I don’t think anyone should lose their livelihood over this. But with that being said, you know me, I’ll always be grateful for my time at ‘General Hospital.’ I love it there, I grew up there, I grew up with some of you. I’ll always be grateful.”
At the time, Burton didn’t close the door at returning either — saying, “maybe one day if these mandates are lifted I can return and finish my career as Jason Morgan. That would be an honor.”
“If not, I’m going to take this amazing experience, move forward and be forever grateful,” he concluded, before thanking fans for their support.
No word yet on when Burton’s episodes will begin, but General Hospital airs daily on ABC.