Is Valentin Really Leaving General Hospital?
Contains spoilers for recent episodes of "General Hospital"
Actor James Patrick Stuart, who previously appeared on soap opera "All of my Children" for five years in the '90s, joined the cast of "General Hospital" in 2016 and has remained a consistent presence on the series ever since (via IMDb). Stuart portrays Valentin Cassadine, son of the notoriously villainous Victor Cassadine (Charles Shaughnessy), and himself a recurring series antagonist.
In a recent pair of episodes that aired in mid October 2021, Peter (Wes Ramsey) shoots Valentin amid a conflict between him and the Cassadine family at their compound in Greece. Valentin requires surgery in order to survive the gunshot wound, and is transported to the United States Consulate. However, the medical facilities at the consulate aren't equipped to fully rehabilitate Valentin from his wound, meaning that his survival is contingent upon a successful return to the United States.
While Valentin may be at death's door, which is oftentimes a scenario that precedes a character's exit from a series, surviving mortal injury is likewise a soap opera trope, meaning that there's theoretically an equal chance Stuart will be sticking around "General Hospital" moving forward.
James Patrick Stuart is here to stay
One reason Valentin's life-threatening injury could theoretically lead to James Patrick Stuart's departure from "General Hospital" is the fact that, back in April 2021, Stuart was cast in a new Disney Channel original series opposite "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" actor Lucy Davis with the working title "Amy From Amarillo" (via Deadline). Few details have been announced since, but Stuart very well may still be busy with his new Disney series.
That said, in May, in the wake of the "Amy From Amarillo" announcement, Stuart shared to his Twitter account that the series is filmed "15 minutes from the GH stage so, should the show get picked up for series, and while it would create scheduling headaches for some very cool people, I have no plans to hang up Valentin's dancing shoes any time soon."
Stuart hasn't discussed how long he plans to continue to portray Valentin since that tweet, but nevertheless, his comments both confirm that "Amy From Amarillo" shouldn't conflict with "General Hospital," and that Stuart remains committed to the role of Valentin. Moreover, ABC network is part of the Disney family in Burbank, so it makes sense that the parent company would find a way to coordinate the two obligations on behalf of its star.
In short, then, Valentin will most likely remain a fixture of "General Hospital" for the foreseeable future.