Days Of Our Lives fans are still dealing with a huge loss after fan-favorite actor Drake Hogestyn passed away in September 2024. The actor had been quietly battling cancer and wasn’t able to film much for the soap opera. Now the soap has the unimaginable task of writing a fitting end to John Black. Viewers were shocked to see another actor in the role.
Marlena Desperately Searches For John
John Black hasn’t been in contact with his loved ones for a while on Days Of Our Lives. No matter how dangerous his missions are, he always checks in with his beloved “Doc.” Marlena (Deidre Hall) recently teamed up with Steve (Stephen Nichols) to track down her missing husband.
John Black’s sons Brady (Eric Martsolf) and Paul (Paul Narita) are also worried about their father’s whereabouts. Shane Donovan’s son Andrew (Colton Little) is involved in the search.
Last week Marlena was horrified to find out that Orpheus (George DelHoyo) was back in town and still seeking revenge against her and John. After a confrontation, Marlena tied Orpheus up and went to help in the search for her missing husband.
Days Of Our Lives Fans Shocked By Recast
Days Of Our Lives fans took to social media this week after an image from an upcoming episode leaked. The image appeared to show Marlena and Steve with an unconscious John. But long-time fans realized that it wasn’t Drake Hogestyn in the role of John. Did the show unexpectedly recast?
It’s not an April Fool’s Day joke but the April 1st episode featured the John Black stand-in. Marlena and Steve walked into a room to find a seemingly lifeless man with grey hair slumped against a desk. They both feared the worst.
But after a closer look, they determined that it wasn’t John. The man also wasn’t dead and was able to give a little information about what happened to John before the man passed away from the bullet wound.
The character was a famed nuclear scientist named Dr. Karl Pilkington. Before succumbing to his injury, he told Marlena and Steve that John had been in the room with him but “they” took him… and the nuclear device.
He passed away before he could reveal more. Meanwhile, Andrew went to check on Orpheus only to find himself held at gunpoint after Orpheus slipped out of the ropes Marlena tied him to the chair with.
But Paul got the upper hand after Andrew arrived and turned the tables on Orpheus. Paul held the villain at gunpoint but they both knew he wouldn’t shoot. “You really are your father’s son,” Orpheus told Paul.
Andrew said that ISA would question Orpheus further, and hopefully they can get some kind of lead on where John is. Marlena and Steve rifled through folders in the lab. They discovered something that shocked them both, but viewers don’t know what yet.
The hunt for John Black is bittersweet for viewers, knowing that when they find him, Drake Hogestyn’s story will be over. The actor’s finale air date already aired months ago. But some fans find solace in the fact that the beloved soap star worked with the writers to craft John’s final ending.
Watch new episodes of Days Of Our Lives Monday through Friday on Peacock.
