John Black suffered serious injuries on DOOL this week; Drake Hogestyn, who portrayed the character for almost 40 years, died in September 2024

Some fans believe the show intends to recast the role after noticing a significant hint. Days of Our Lives was a beloved program in homes nationwide for the 57 years it was broadcast on NBC.

In 2022, the show made a permanent transition to the NBC Peacock streaming platform; many viewers feared this marked the start of the end for the daytime series. Soap fans might remember that All My Children and One Life To Live were briefly brought back online after ABC canceled them in 2011.

Moving To Streaming Seems To Have Saved The Show

The NBC soap opera has also produced several online spinoffs on YouTube, including “Chad And Abby In Paris,” featuring Billy Flynn as Chad DiMera and Marci Miller as Abigail DiMera.

However, transitioning to Peacock might have been the best move; a recent report from Luminate indicates that the soap is not only surviving on the streaming platform but is thriving.

It’s outperforming most other original content available on Peacock. The data shows that Days of Our Lives ranked as the second most-watched program on Peacock in 2024, with the popular dating series Love Island USA taking the top spot.

This fall, the soap will celebrate its 60th season on-air and has already secured a renewal for at least one additional season.

John Was Gravely Injured In A Heroic Act

Sadly, one long-time actor will not be present to commemorate the show’s upcoming anniversary-Drake Hogestyn passed away in late 2024 after a private struggle with pancreatic cancer.

He became part of the show in 1986, initially playing a character known as “The Pawn,” who was later renamed John Black.

His role as an ISA agent was a consistent element in various storylines over the years. Recently, he went AWOL during a mission, causing his wife, Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall), to worry- John Black eventually made it back home.

However, before he could reunite with his wife, he was summoned for another mission, one that was much more personal. Steve Johnson (Stephen Nichols) reached out to John for assistance in obtaining a drug that Bo Brady (Peter Reckell) needed to survive.

John Was Once Thought To Be The Missing Roman Brady, Including By Himself

For a short period, John Black believed he was the brother of Bo, who is actually Roman Brady (played by Josh Taylor).

Eventually, he discovered that he had no ties to the Brady family, yet he continued to feel like a brother to both Bo and Kayla Brady Johnson (portrayed by Mary Beth Evans).

After he entered the meth lab where the drugs were kept, an explosion occurred, resulting in severe burns for John Black. In Monday’s episode, Steve informed Kayla that the life-saving medication was en route to Bo.

He mentioned that if Bo pulls through, it will be thanks to John Black, who heroically shielded the experimental cure with his own body during the explosion, sustaining burns in the process.

Is The Role Of John Black Being Recast?

To the cast, crew, and fans of the long running soap, actor Drake Hogestyn was cherished as a hero. Following his death, many of his co-stars shared their thoughts on how kind and beloved he was by all.

However, some fans of the show noticed a typical sign on soap operas indicating that a character might be recast.

Currently, John Black is in the hospital, covered in bandages. Usually, this suggests plastic surgery and a new actor stepping into the role; so, is DOOL planning to recast John Black?

There Is A Stand-In Actor, But No, The Role Is Not Being Recast

The actor’s final scene was shown a few weeks before he passed away on September 24. Everyone hoped the actor would overcome cancer and come back to the show; unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

The individual wrapped in bandages is a stand-in named Allan Wayne Anderson, although fans insist they heard Drake Hogestyn’s voice when John Black spoke before being burned.

To be fair, he might have recorded a voiceover remotely, but this hasn’t been confirmed, and one source denied it.

The exact circumstances of John Black’s death remain a secret, but it is likely due to his serious burns-however, he will die; the show does not plan to recast the role.

Many Loved Ones Return To Salem To Say Their Final Farewells

The preview for this week shows several of John Black’s loved ones coming back to Salem to say their final farewells. Chandler Massey and Christie Clark will reprise their roles as Will Horton and Carrie Brady.

Viewers can look forward to many flashbacks of John Black and plenty of genuine tears from the cast as they mourn their cherished co-star.

From watching the episode of May 26, it did seem that the actors’ tears were genuine even though John didn’t pass onscreen just yet-he had coded but was brought back.

Since these scenes were recorded nine months ago, it was at a time when it was confirmed Drake wouldn’t be able to return.

Be sure to catch up on everything happening with DOOL right now. Come back here often for Days Of Our Lives spoilers, news, and updates.