“I hate this exit for Michael” — General Hospital fans disappointed with Michael’s exit storyline on the show

ABC's General Hospital, which first premiered on April 1, 1963, holds a Guinness World Record as one of the longest-running American soap operas. The show is set in the fictional city of Port Charles and revolves mainly around the Corinthos, Quartermaine, Cassadine, and Spencer families. The recent January 6, 2025, episode showed devastating occurrences for Michael Corinthos.

Michael sustained severe burns after falling prey to an explosion attack at the Corinthos mansion. Jason Morgan quickly pulled him out of the house before the structure collapsed. Michael was then seen going to a burns recovery unit to recuperate. Sonny Corinthos, who was also present during the explosion, tried to find the culprit behind the attack.

General Hospital fans took to Facebook to share their opinions regarding the fact that this storyline could mean Michael Corinthos's characters exit from the show. One fan with the username Tricia Vaughner posted on the official General Hospital Facebook page,

"I hate this exit for Michael I wanted to see him stick it to Willow & Drew."

Screenshot from the Facebook post (Image via Facebook/Tricia Vaughner)

Screenshot from the Facebook post (Image via Facebook/Linda Drake)

Screenshot from the Facebook post (Image via Facebook/Katie Mitrano)

Screenshot from the Facebook post (Image via Facebook/Richard Hoeth)

Screenshot from the Facebook post (Image via Facebook/Margaret Power)

The actor who played Michael Corinthos on General Hospital for fourteen years, Chad Duell, revealed in December 2024 on The Daily Drama podcast that he would be exiting the show to grieve his father's loss. While he mentioned the possibility of returning, he did not specify when it would happen.

Fans seemed upset that the fire accident was his character's end. Some added that they had wished for Michael's involvement with Willow and Drew to culminate in a conclusion.

Screenshot from the Facebook post (Image via Facebook/Glenda Vaughn)

Screenshot from the Facebook post (Image via Facebook/Sue)

Screenshot from the Facebook post (Image via Facebook/Lisa Molinelli)

Screenshot from the Facebook post (Image via Facebook/Alice Hohenstein Powell)

Many fans criticized the writers for writing Michael Corinthos's character this way after building up his involvement with Willow and their divorce. They also appreciated Chad Duell's portrayal of Michael Corinthos for almost a decade and a half on General Hospital. Fans wished Michael had stayed on the show long enough for the writers to reveal what was in store for his future before his exit.

---

Recent plotlines on General Hospital

Recent storylines on General Hospital showed Michael and Willow's heated custody battle regarding their two children before he was caught in the fire explosion at the Corinthos mansion. After Dex Heller's character's tragic demise, Josslyn Jacks was shown trying to come to terms with his death, while Sonny Corinthos was shown trying to investigate who the killer was in Port Charles.

Sonny's recent health scare revealed his fragile heart condition, while Charlotte Cassadine was shown making important decisions that could potentially affect her near and dear ones and her personal life.

---

Fans can watch General Hospital on ABC Network and stream episodes on Hulu.