In a surprising casting -- or decasting -- move, General Hospital's Marcus Coloma has exited the role of Nikolas Cassadine. The actor joined the ABC soap in 2019.
After a little more than three years, Marcus Coloma is out as General Hospital's Nikolas Cassadine. In a somewhat shocking move, the actor, who is involved in several front burner plots, was let go.
Speculation about the actor's status with the show began last week when he stopped following all of his castmates on social media. The actor later stopped following nearly everyone on Twitter, except for the platform's owner, Elon Musk.
Now, Daytime Confidential provides a probable reason for Coloma's actions: the actor was not happy to learn that his time in Port Charles had come to an end and "reportedly declined to film his final scenes after learning he'd been let go."
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Marcus Coloma joined General Hospital in October 2019, dressed in a mask on Halloween night. Not long afterward, the masked man was revealed to be Prince Nikolas Cassadine -- a character that was thought to have been killed by Valentin Cassadine in 2016.
It's unclear if Coloma's exit means that Nikolas is being written out or if GH opted to recast the role. On-screen, Nikolas has quite a bit going on: Nikolas recently served divorce papers to wife, Ava Jerome. He also has Esme imprisoned in a wing of his castle because Esme claims that she is carrying his child, the result of a one-night stand. To cover up the pregnancy, Nikolas and Elizabeth Webber are saying that Elizabeth is pregnant with Nikolas' child. Of course, there is also a hook-wielding killer on the loose...
A GH source tells Soap Central that the show can confirm that Marcus Coloma will no longer be playing the role of Nikolas Cassadine. His last airdate will be at the end of January.
To view our extensive and updated character profile on Nikolas, check out Soap Central's Who's Who page by clicking here.
UPDATE (December 20, 2022): Marcus Coloma took to Instagram to comment on his exit from the show. To see the video and to learn more about his exit, continue reading here.
How do you feel about Coloma leaving the role of Nikolas Cassadine? How do you think his absence will affect story? Are you hoping the role will continue somewhere down the line? We want to hear from you -- and there are many ways you can share your thoughts.
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