General Hospital is back this week with new episodes, but fresh material isn't the only thing that viewers of the ABC soap are freaking out about. Über popular actress Vanessa Marcil has seemingly indicated that she has reprised her role as Brenda Barrett, the sexy brunette who will always have a piece of Sonny's (Maurice Benard) heart.
News of Marcil's possible return came -- unfortunately -- via an insult hurled toward the actress on Twitter. A GH viewer wrote, "I love Maurice...never was a fan of Brenda. I was glad to see her go," to which Marcil cheekily replied, "I've got some bad news for ya!"
I've got some bad news for ya 😊 https://t.co/NutRsgsnq4
- 🌫Vanessa Marcil (@VanessaMarcilM) August 2, 2020
If Marcil's tweet does indeed mean that she is returning to GH, Maurice Benard may have influenced the casting decision. As Soap Central reported back in June, the actor gave an interview in which he said that if he'd had his say, Marcil "would have been back about five years ago. She brings ratings, and if you put two and two together, that's four. So, if you bring her back, it's a no-brainer."
Fans who love seeing Sonny with Carly (Laura Wright) might get worked up over the possibility of Brenda returning -- after all, Sonny and Brenda have quite an intense and passionate history. But Benard assured viewers at the time that his enthusiasm for bringing Marcil back to the canvas didn't meant that he was choosing Brenda over Carly. Rather, he was pointing out the exciting storyline opportunities that Brenda's return to Port Charles could bring, especially with Ingo Rademacher back in the role of Jasper Jacks.
"You [brought] back Jax, then you got Brenda, and you got a whole cool thing going on," Benard explained.
It is worth noting that Marcil is perhaps the subject of the most return rumors over the past 20 years, be it on web sites, on the cover of soap opera magazines, or by attempts to decipher the actress' social media posts. There have been far more rumors that have not panned out over the years, but that hasn't seemed to lessen Marcil's fans' exuberance.
Marcil originally joined the cast of GH in 1992 and played the role of Brenda until 1998. She returned to the soap from 2002 to 2003, again from 2010 to 2011, and once again in 2013 for the show's 50th anniversary. Some of her other TV credits include Beverly Hills, 90210; Las Vegas; and Crossing Jordan. Her film credits include The Rock, Storm Watch, The Nanny Express, and My Stepfather's Secret.
What do you think about Vanessa Marcil's tweet? Do you think it means she is returning to the role of Brenda? If so, how do you feel about Brenda returning to Port Charles? 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.
