2025 was a year of twists and turns on General Hospital, and 2026 is poised to be filled with more thrills, chills and bombshell reveals! The show’s head writers, Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten, offered a peak into the show’s storytelling plans with a massive Port Charles preview detailing what lies ahead in major plotlines like the mystery of who shot Drew (Cameron Mathison), the long-awaited return of Maxie (Kirsten Storms), Anna’s (Finola Hughes) kidnapping and much, much more in a new interview with TV Insider.

The Ties That Blind

Going into the new year, several characters have formed unexpected alliances. Carly (Laura Wright) and Valentin (James Patrick Stuart) have joined forces to take down WSB bigwig Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna), who just so happens to be Carly’s lover. But as viewers know, Valentin has an Achilles heel in the form of his beloved daughter, Charlotte (Bluesy Burke). Will Brennan exploit that vulnerability in Valentin … and will the effects be lethal? Korte and Van Etten hinted, “Valentin’s bond with Charlotte [Cassadine, Bluesy Burke] may be the death of him.”

Brennan has a secret ally of his own in the form of Nina (Cynthia Watros). But as their undercover partnership continues, the writers cautioned, Nina “may discover that the cost is higher than she can pay.”

Laura (Genie Francis) and Sonny (Maurice Benard) are typically on the opposite sides of the law — she’s the mayor, and he’s the local mob boss — but they have a common enemy in Sidwell (Carlo Rota), who is blackmailing Laura with photographic evidence implicating her in the murder of Professor Dalton (Daniel Goddard). The writers shared that when it comes to bringing Sidwell to his knees, “any success will be hard-won,” adding that Laura will employ ” drastic measures” to prevent her husband, Kevin (Jon Lindstrom) and her grandson, Ace, from falling victim to Sidwell’s dirty games.

Speaking of Sidwell, his son, Marco (Adrian Anchondo), isn’t getting much satisfaction from working with his dad to make Sonny pay for what Marco sees as Sonny’s role in the death of Marco’s mother, Natalia (Eva LaRue). He wants revenge now, not later, which could prove to be very bad news for Sonny, not to mention his romance with Lucas (Van Hansis). Said Van Etten and Korte, “Marco’s impatience has him looking beyond Sidwell to settle the score with Sonny.”

Meanwhile, Michael (Rory Gibson) teamed up with Jacinda (Paige Herschell) for a good cause: keeping himself out of jail. Jacinda has helped him out by giving him an alibi for the night of Drew’s shooting, but as they kept company to make their relationship — and hence Michael’s alibi — legit. Along the way, real feelings have blossomed, with Korte and Van Etten describing the duo’s connection as “sexy and sincere.” However, they warned, Jacinda is going to be forced to take the stand at Willow’s (Katelyn MacMullen) trial, and her decision to lie about Michael’s whereabouts on the night of the crime “may be their undoing.”

Bullet Points

The whodunit surrounding Drew’s shooting has dominated the front burner for months, and it looks like all viewers’ dangling questions will finally be answered. Willow, of course, is the one who was arrested for plugging two bullets into the congressman, who she subsequently married. But, revealed Korte and Van Etten, it is amateur detectives Trina (Tabyana Ali) and Kai (Jens Austin Astrup) whose investigation “results in identifying Drew’s shooter” as the storyline climaxes in tandem with Willow’s trial.

Fans should expect dramatic — and unexpected — consequences to follow from Trina and Kai’s discovery, as the writers declared that “what they do with this information will stun viewers.” The two scribes also advised fans to expect fireworks when the jury returns with a decision about Willow’s fate, saying, “The verdict and its fallout will reverberate for years to come.” And not just for Willow, they noted: “No matter what the verdict, Alexis and Scout may wind up losers.”

Love on the Rocks

Matters of the heart will also be at the forefront in 2026, but don’t expect the course of true love to run smooth! Korte and Van Etten reported that though Britt (Kelly Thiebaud) and Jason (Steve Burton) will stop denying their attraction, “their romance faces an immediate obstacle in the form of Sidwell’s partner-in-crime.” Britt will try to push her feelings for Jason away, given the danger she is in, but getting stranded together in a blizzard may make that next to impossible….

A crisis with Charlotte will push Lulu (Alexa Havins) into Nathan’s arms in the new year. The writers shared that when Lulu’s daughter eludes the cops guarding her (because of Valentin’s fugitive status), Nathan will help Lulu try to track her down, and “they find themselves in a surprising clinch.” Lulu catching feelings for Maxie’s “dead” husband seems poised to cause big drama, given that Maxie’s comatose status — which has lasted four months and counting — is due for an upgrade. Assured Van Etten and Korte, “Maxie will return in 2026!” They also teased that Maxie will “find her world much changed” when she rejoins the land of the conscious. Given that she doesn’t know Nathan is alive, much less that sparks are flying between him and Lulu, we’d say that’s an understatement!

Chase (Josh Swickard) and Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) have managed to stay above the fray of his determination to prove the innocence of his ex-wife, Willow, but now that Chase has been suspended from the PCPD and is clashing with Michael, their domestic bliss is very much threatened. In light of that, Korte and Van Etten noted, Brook Lynn “admits to misgivings” about the couple moving forward with having a baby.

Meanwhile, Curtis (Donnell Turner) will keep getting closer to Jordan (Tanisha Harper) — and he will also be pressing pregnant Portia (Brook Kerr) for a paternity test, one she might not be eager to grant despite her own deepening bond with her unborn baby’s other possible pop, Isaiah (Sawandi Wilson).

Secrets Are No Fun

Viewers know something the people of Port Charles don’t — namely, that Anna (Finola Hughes) is being held hostage at Wyndemere. The writers divulged that Anna’s predicament gets even more dire “when she’s called on by a voice from her past” and that while the crafty heroine attempts to flee from her captors, they have a Plan B in place. Not only that, but when Emma (Braedyn Bruner), Mac (John J. York) and Felicia (Kristina Wagner) come together to try to rescue Anna, it sounds like the results aren’t quite what the family was hoping for. Van Etten and Korte hinted, “What happens next will prove traumatic for the Scorpios.”

Thus far, Drew has managed to avoid any blowback for leaving Ned (Wally Kurth) to die when his cousin suffered a massive heart attack in November. But his luck is going to run out, say Korte and Van Etten, because that truth will come to light, putting him in an all too familiar spot: his fuming family’s line of fire. “Tracy [Jane Elliot] is ready to take Drew down, but she’ll have to take a number,” they teased.

And lest it appear that all this intrigue and chaos isn’t going to affect the show’s teens, well, that’s far from the case. According to Van Etten and Korte, Charlotte “considers going full Cassadine” after a betrayal, prompting Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) to channel his father, Jason, as he rallies to her side, while Rocco (Finn Carr) is at the center of a new wave of drama, and is the catalyst for “a string of events that will result in the departure of one citizen of Port Charles, and dire consequences for others.”

Which GH stories are you most looking forward to in the new year? Let us know in the comments below!