Will Ian Buchanan return to General Hospital full time?

General Hospital alum Ian Buchanan (Duke Lavery) opens up about whether or not he'd consider a permanent return to the ABC soap opera.

Christmas is fun and all, but the really big occasion that General Hospital fans have been celebrating this season was the recent surprise return of Ian Buchanan in the role of Duke Lavery. His appearance was short and in spiritual form (Duke died in 2015), but it was enough to get viewers feeling like they'd won the Christmas lottery. So, the question is: Will fans ever be able to see Buchanan back in Duke's shoe's full-time?

Buchanan shared with Soap Hub that he did have a "very brief socially distanced visit" with GH executive producer Frank Valentini while he was back on set at the ABC soap opera, but it may or may not lead to the writers deciding to bring Duke back full-time. Even if they did manage to find a way to bring the character back from the dead, there's the question of whether or not Buchanan would even want to return to his popular alter ego for a long period of time.

Unfortunately for fans, it doesn't seem like Buchanan is raring to get back full-time -- though anything is possible! "I am always happy to show up there and play for a day or two," he reveals. "Anything more would require careful consideration."

The actor did, however, enjoy his return trip to Port Charles. "My one day back was a lot of fun for the most part," he shares. "I spent most of my time with Will [deVry; ex-Julian Jerome] in his dressing room. The Dead Man Waiting Room. I kept thinking about all the things he'd have to pack and move and all the times I've done the same thing."

Buchanan made his debut as General Hospital's Duke Lavery in 1986 and played the fan-favorite character until his presumed death in 1989. GH briefly recast the role in 1990 with actor Greg Beecroft, but Buchanan stepped back into Duke's shoes for a run that lasted from 2012 to 2015, when the character was killed by Carlos (Jeffrey Vincent Parise).

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For more from Buchanan on his recent return to GH, check out Soap Hub's full interview here.

Would you like to see Ian Buchanan reprise the role of GH's Duke Lavery full-time? Or do you like to see dead soap characters stay dead? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.

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