Steve Burton returned to General Hospital in May 2024 to reprise his role as Jason Morgan (formerly Quartermaine). ABC previously released Burton from the show in November 2021 when he refused to adhere to the show’s COVID-19 vaccine policy as mandated by Disney/ABC. Although Burton tried to fight the mandate citing medical and religious reasons, he was dismissed from the show. As for his character, Jason was written out of the show. He was believed to have presumedly died, although his body was not found.
Since returning from the dead three years later, Jason Morgan has been working for the FBI. Although his mission is over, Jagger “Agent John” Cates has given him a new assignment: leave Port Charles for good, or give him information to put Sonny Corinthos away for the rest of his life. However, Steve Burton might not begoing anywhere, as confirmed by him recently on The Daily Drama podcast.
Coming back to Steve's on-screen character, things have been complicated for Jason. He will not turn on Sonny, so Cates has been blackmailing him. Meanwhile, with Carly facing possible RICO Act charges, one of them needs to go, and Jason feels he has less to lose.
Not seeing any other options, Jason decided to leave town, went to the bus station, and called to say goodbye to his son, Danny. Fans immediately assumed this meant that Burton was leaving the show again.
What did Steve Burton say about his future on the show?
Burton took to a podcast recently to clear up some misconceptions that fans might have regarding his fate on the show. He explicitly told listeners of The Daily Drama that his contract was for two years. When the episode with Jason at the bus station was aired, he was only a couple of months into the stint.
Making an appearance on The Daily Drama podcast last Friday, Burton also spoke of his future on the show. When he was asked if Jason’s mother, Monica Quartermaine, could be returning to the show, Burton said that he and Leslie Charleson, who plays Monica, are great friends and he talks to her often.
“I think we’ll be back together,” he said.
What would Steve Burton do outside of General Hospital?
It wouldn’t be hard to assume the actor might be busy elsewhere and a departure from the show might be well-timed. Burton has been promoting on his Instagram page that he is “hitting the road” in a multi-state tour in July and August. Although he says he loves to meet fans and answer their questions about General Hospital, it’s not his only gig outside of Port Charles.
Burton also has what he calls the “M3 Fitness Program,” (M3 meaning Mind, Muscles, and Macros). His eight-week roadmap to a personal transformation promises “a better you, inside and out.”
The actor has not only been in and out of Port Charles several times but he has also had standout roles on Days of Our Lives and Young and the Restless.
Steve Burton Is Needed In Port Charles
However, Jason’s storyline is just heating up. He worked with Anna so she could get Valentin to leave town, and he’s been trying to protect Carly from going to prison. If Jason leaves Port Charles, he can’t protect her anymore, and Cates will most likely put pressure on her to get Jason back and keep him under his thumb. There’s also the issue that Jason worked with Anna to help Valentin, and Cates is onto both of them for that.
Although contracts can be broken (as they were in 2021) there is no reason to believe that Burton — or Jason — is actually going away this time.
