The actor left the BBC soap last year after five years in the role, with the character’s exit coming after he was extradited to the US for credit card fraud.

However, The Sun has now reported that Bowden may return for a guest stint in the coming months, with a possible full-time role on the cards.

A source told the publication that new EastEnders producer Ben Wadey had a “list of characters he wanted to bring back” after taking over from Chris Clenshaw, with Ben Mitchell being one of them.

“It’s taken a little while to sort out but Max will be back filming on Albert Square later this year,” the source added.

Digital Spy has reached out to EastEnders, who declined to comment on the reports.

Addressing his exit from the soap last year, Bowden said he was experiencing burnout and “it was time for a rest”.

“The important thing was my time was ready. I was very tired, and like I said, I wasn’t me, I wasn’t,” he said when asked about his reasons for leaving the soap.

“The Max sat in front of you today was kind of a ghost, and they recognised that – I recognised that.”

On the burnout he experienced, he continued: “I did nearly six hundred episodes in five years, which is a hell of a lot, and it was time for a rest. The character was tired, I was tired, they [the producers] were probably tired of me being tired.

“From an honest perspective, I think yeah, a lot of it was that I needed to go for a bit. I needed to go work on me, get myself back to a place of really good mental health, focus on healing and also be a dad.”

It was also recently reported that Jake Wood is being tipped for a return as Max Branning, who last appeared on the BBC soap back in February 2021,