Overview

• EastEnders officially confirmed that Jake Wood will reprise his role as Max Branning in a short autumn stint followed by a permanent return later this year.
• Executive producer Ben Wadey expressed delight at Wood’s return and views Branning’s comeback as a cornerstone of his production-led overhaul.
• Jake Wood described coming back to Walford as “like a very warm hug” and pledged that Max’s unresolved conflicts will drive intense new storylines.
• Max’s history of affairs, family feuds and a secret daughter with Linda Carter leaves multiple characters—his children, ex-partners and neighbours—on edge.
• The announcement follows recent cast realignments such as Oscar Branning’s recast, underscoring BBC One’s strategy of leveraging legacy characters to refresh the long-running soap.