Is Ryan Paevey leaving ‘General Hospital’? Showrunner dishes on Cassius Faison’s fate
Port Charles recently witnessed a heartbreaking exit. Ryan Paevey, who made his triumphant return in September 2025, bowed out in the July 6 episode. For those unaware, Paevey became 'General Hospital' royalty by playing Nathan for six years. To this day, the character's death sequence brings tears to the eyes of loyal fans. Paevey exited the show of his own accord in 2018. Nathan was killed off at the hands of his father, Cesar Faison (Anders Hove), while trying to rescue his wife, Maxie (Kirsten Storms). Seven years later, Paevey came back to the show, but not as the resident good guy. He appeared as Nathan's mysterious twin brother, Cassius Faison. Initially, the show claimed that Paevey returned to play his beloved character, Nathan West. Later in March 2026, it was revealed that he was actually on board to portray Cassius.
Cassius spent months impersonating Nathan for the sake of his cold fusion project. However, in the process, he formed deep bonds with characters like Lulu Falconeri (Alexa Havins) and James West ( Gary James Fuller). Though not as much as Nathan, fans enjoyed seeing the morally ambiguous character navigate Port Charles. Paevey spoke to TV Insider and revealed the very reason he came back to play someone different this time around. “This character is not the strait-laced nice guy, which opens up a whole new slew of activities and things to play with, which sounded like a lot more fun,” the actor explained.
However, fans were left shocked when Cassius was shot in the chest by corrupt WSB Director Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes) during the July 6 episode, marking his exit from the show. He was declared publicly dead by the intelligence agency, but it was later revealed in the episode that he had actually survived the attack. Cassius was held in WSB's custody and was given a deadly ultimatum by WSB leader Z (guest star John Oliver). Cassius will either face multiple felony charges and the death penalty, or he must begin working with WSB. Cassius' choice was kept hidden, but it was evident that the actor was leaving the show again.
General Hospital executive producer and showrunner Frank Valentini shed some light on Paevey's return to Port Charles in his interview with TV Insider. “Ryan’s return was always planned as a short-term arc,” the showrunner stated. “He did incredible work, and we loved having him back.” Fans were intrigued by Cassius' ambiguous ending, which led to speculation that Paevey might return in the future. Valentini did not rule out the possibility. “The door is always open for him to return,” the EP stated. In 2025, Paevey expressed gratitude towards the show for facilitating his return and also thanked fans for continuing to root for him. “I am humbled by the support. I’m very grateful to still have the opportunity to work alongside people that I love, and that’s largely due to the fans. I hope that they’ll like what we’ve got in the works,” he told the publication back then. 'General Hospital' continues to air every weekday on ABC.
