Heartbreaking goodbye: Who will replace Sonny (Maurice Benard)? When he had serious health problems on the show General Hospital

n the wake of Sonny’s (Maurice Benard) recent health scare on General Hospital, he’s found himself thinking about retiring from the mob and naming his successor.

Given his line of work, he knows he can’t exactly leave the company to anybody as the candidate has to be someone he trusts, someone who knows the risks that come with the job, someone who can handle doing what it takes to fend off rivals and someone who vows to protect the residents of Port Charles from more dangerous threats in the underworld. Plus, this person has to promise not to eliminate Sonny and his family after he steps down as part of some weird power play to erase the legacy of the Corinthos name.

The logical choice to replace Sonny as The Kingpin of Port Charles is Jason (Steve Burton). He’s been Sonny’s number two for decades and has an extensive knowledge of the business. Additionally, Sonny arguably trusts no one more than his longtime best friend (aside from Carly [Laura Wright]). Unfortunately for the Corinthos patriarch, Jason turned Sonny down when offered the role in the General Hospital episode airing on December 3, a move I predicted. As Danny’s (Asher Antonyzyn) sole surviving parent, Jason has to think about his son’s needs more than ever.

With all that being said, I started to think about who else could be a good fit to replace Sonny, and I came up with three contenders. First up on my list is Michael.

Yes, Chad Duell’s Michael is exiting the General Hospital canvas at the top of the year, and rumor has it that his exit will come after he’s caught in a fire. Should that fire storyline prove true, I can imagine the Michael character going off the canvas to a burn care facility to recover. Then when Michael is eventually brought back, he returns a changed man, brooding with a major chip on his shoulder. Characteristics that lend themselves to a position such as mob boss.

It’s worth noting that after Michael spent time in a coma years ago, he woke up a changed person who was determined to join his dad’s business. Also, Michael knows his father’s business very well and can be quite cunning. The latter part is evidenced in all of Michael’s methodical revenge plots over the years. And a cunning mafioso can be a good one.

Although Michael is an interesting choice, I know Sonny doesn’t really want any of his kids following in his dangerous footsteps. So Michael likely would face pushback from his dad. But could Michael outmaneuver his dad upon his return to the canvas and take the Corinthos Empire? Perhaps.