Is Nathan Really Back on General Hospital? Fans Weigh In on His Mysterious Return

When Ryan Paevey returned to General Hospital in September 2025, seven years after his character, Nathan West, was shot dead by his father, Cesar Faison, fans were thrilled to see the actor back on the soap. But as Nathan claimed to have no memories of the years following his demise and his also miraculously-not-dead sister, Britt Westbourne, reacted to him with seeming distrust, viewers became suspicious, and some pretty wild theories began flying around the Internet.

Soap Opera Digest polled fans to find out what audience members really think is behind Nathan’s shocking return from the dead, offering up some of the most popular theories already swirling around the Internet. After thousands of votes were cast, the results are in — and they’re nothing short of explosive.

Double Trouble

Some fans are convinced this man pretending to be Nathan isn’t Nathan at all — but rather his long-lost evil twin. However, this was not the most popular theory, with only 7% of fans saying they believed that was who had stepped into the heroic cop’s shoes… with some nefarious purpose in mind, no doubt! Also coming in at just 7% — but with a few additional votes, was the idea that this version of Nathan was somehow his own father, the notorious supervillain Cesar Faison, back from the dead. As longtime viewers know, Faison is no stranger to the role of impostor, whether it’s adopting a fake identity (like novelist PK Sinclair) or assuming someone else’s, as when he used a high-tech mask to pose as Anna’s former husband, Duke Lavery. They also know that Faison’s brain was extracted from his body during his autopsy after he died in 2018, and was jarred for scientific purposes. But in the world of soaps, not even that means that he’s permanently, forever dead!

The next most popular response from fans was the catch-all “something else,” which got 12% of the vote.

Forget Me Lots

Naturally, given that Nathan and his portrayer were such fan favorites, a decent number of people are convinced that everything is exactly as it appears and that this man walking around town with Nathan’s face is actually just Nathan — a Nathan who’s lost his memory like so many other soap characters before him. Indeed, that’s what a full 13% of voters believe is going on. And if they are proven to be right, it would be a lovely turn of events, especially for little James (Gary James Fuller), who would be able to get to know his father, and for Maxie (Kirsten Storms), who would be able to reunite with her true love when she emerges from her coma. Of course, all fans know that such happy endings aren’t exactly commonplace on soaps!

Back in Action

A slightly more popular option among viewers, with 14% of the vote, was the theory that this man is not actually Nathan, but the nefarious Peter August (Wes Ramsey), back from the dead and now somehow resembling his brother. The last viewers saw of Faison’s other son, he was lying in the snow after Felicia (Kristina Wagner) bludgeoned him to protect Maxie. Instead of calling an ambulance, his maternal aunt, Anna (Finola Hughes), sat and watched him perish to confirm he was actually dead. But it’s probably still slightly more likely that Peter would come back from the dead instead of Faison, since Peter’s brain never left his body — at least that we know of!

Send in the Clones

Next up, 19% of fans think that this isn’t Nathan at all, but some kind of clone. Britt was working on some mysterious project at The Five Poppies resort in Croatia, so perhaps her employer was experimenting in human cloning, and this Nathan is the result of their hard work? GH has already established that memories can be transferred, as was done when Drew Cain (then-Billy Miller) first arrived in Port Charles, believing himself to be Jason Morgan (Steve Burton). The ability to memory-map, as it is known within the world of the show, was pioneered by Dr. Andre Maddox as part of the Anemnesis Project. And who funded his research? Why, none other than Cesar Faison! If this Nathan does prove to be a clone, the question is whether “Nathan 2.0” is a stand-up guy like the original or if the clone’s arrival in town spells danger.

Clean Slate

The most popular option in our poll was the idea that while Nathan is actually Nathan, he’s been brainwashed. A full 28% of fans went with this theory, which essentially represents the best of both worlds. If it proves true, the audience would get Nathan back from the dead, one who is not truly evil, just mind-controlled. So anything bad that he does over the course of the storyline would be perfectly understandable, and upon the tale’s conclusion, the brainwashing could be reversed and Nathan’s true personality restored. Again, though, happy endings in daytime are still pretty rare!

Could one of these theories be the truth behind Nathan’s unexpected return from the dead? Is he really Nathan or someone else entirely? The storyline is still unfolding, so there are still plenty of twists and turns to come. Share your thoughts and predictions in the comments below!