Is Julian returning to General Hospital? William deVry on his character's future

Four years after his exit from General Hospital, fans still wonder if the show might bring Julian Jerome back on screen. The manner of his untimely death seems to leave a door open for his re-entry.

However, when asked about his character Julian's return, actor William deVry did not seem very confident. With a lot of new writers and characters on the show, deVry does not think that it might be possible to return to Julian's story.

In an interview for Soaps.com, published on June 14, 2024, deVry said:

"It’s a smart move to carry on… both personally and for the show."

Julian Jerome was introduced on the show in 1988 and was initially played by Jason Culp until the character was killed off in 1990. Julian was brought back from the dead with William deVry, and re-entered General Hospital in 2013. However, he soon faced many perils of his mobster life and was killed off again in 2020.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for General Hospital.

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Is William deVry's Julian returning to General Hospital?

Actor William deVry at the 34th Annual Creative Arts & Entertainment Emmy Awards (via Noel Vasquez / Getty Images)

In the interview for Soaps.com, William deVry addressed the speculations around Julian's return to the show. He said that he loved his time on the show, but Julian's character arc felt like there was no more to his story. deVry gracefully exited the show after eight years and 700 episodes, and believed that both he and the show should carry on.

However, deVry did reveal a small tidbit from a conversation he had with the General Hospital executive producer Frank Valentini during his exit:

“I also told Frank I’d be open to come back for a short stint to ‘fix’ the character. Salvage Julian’s image [...] There are a lot of stones that could be unturned if Julian somehow found a way to rise from the grave."

Despite this interaction, William deVry remains uncertain of his standing with the show. He explained that this in an answer that many fans may be slightly disappointed to hear:

“Frank [Valentini] knows that my ‘wish’ still stands. But with new writers and a ton of new characters on the show now, I don’t see that happening.”

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How was Julian killed off in General Hospital?

Julian Jerome in a still from General Hospital (Image via ABC)

Julian Jerome was introduced on General Hospital as the youngest son of mobster Victor Jerome, initially shielded from the family business but later quickly becoming an active part of it. After his brother Dino's arrest, Julian became the head of the Jerome mob empire. However, he died his first death in a shootout in 1990.

Julian re-entered the show in 2013 as Derek Wells, taking over a publishing firm. His sister Ava Jerome was the first to address him as Julian and proclaim that he was her brother back from the dead. Over the years, many people in Port Charles became averse to Julian but Alexis found herself being drawn to him despite his shortcomings.

Julian tried to exit the mob business but something would always happen that made him return to the life of blood and revenge. Despite this, Julian and Alexis went through a rollercoaster of emotions before deciding to get married to each other. Unfortunately, Julian's mob life caught up to them and caused a dent in their relationship, eventually leading to a divorce.

Julian and Kim in a still from General Hospital (Image via ABC)

After many jaw-dropping storylines, including a sister's return from the dead, a baby switch, and an incriminating letter, Julian was forced to plant a bomb to kill Jason. Unfortunately, the bomb ended up leading to Dustin and Dev's deaths and also put Lulu in a coma. After this, a fight broke out between Julian, Ava, Jason, and Sonny, during which Julian fell from the parapet at Wyndemere.

Julian later washed ashore but got shot by one of Cyrus' goons. Later in another shootout, he grappled with Sonny for a gun and got shot again. Later, the cops recovered Julian's body, confirming that the two bullet wounds had killed him.

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Watch the latest episodes of General Hospital, releasing weekdays on ABC.