Steve Burton Makes Bloody Return to General Hospital — See the Menacing First Look! (Exclusive)

Steve Burton is back on General Hospital — and this time he has blood on his hands.

PEOPLE has the exclusive first look at Burton’s return to the popular ABC soap opera, airing Monday, March 4.

In the image, Burton, who plays Jason Morgan, is clad entirely in black and stands behind a dumpster, one hand covered in blood.

The actor, 53, was last seen on General Hospital in November 2021 when a tunnel collapsed on his character as he was trying to save his brother Drew (Cameron Mathison) — a disastrous event that left viewers presuming Jason was dead.

Burton has made his mark on soaps for more than three decades, starring on General Hospital, The Young and the Restless, Days of Our Lives and its spinoff, Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem.

He played Jason on General Hospital from 1991 until exiting in 2012. The actor eventually returned to the daytime series in 2017 but was let go in 2021 over his refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Burton went on to rejoin the cast of Days of Our Lives in 2023, playing Harris Michaels for the first time since 1988. Although he later announced his exit from the beloved show on Jan. 4, he revealed his plans to return to General Hospital just one day later.

During his decades-long acting career, Burton won a Daytime Emmy in 1998 for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series for his portrayal of Jason on General Hospital and another Daytime Emmy in 2017 for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series for playing Dylan McAvoy in The Young and the Restless.

News of Burton's return to General Hospital was announced in January during the final moments of ABC's primetime special General Hospital: 60 Years of Stars & Storytelling.

"Happy anniversary, General Hospital," Burton said in a pre-recorded clip. "Stay tuned. Big things are coming to Port Charles."

In a video posted to the Daily Drama's YouTube channel in early February, the actor offered a glimpse of his return to the ABC soap's set, teasing what's in store for his big comeback.

"So, here's what's crazy is I'm back on the set! We're getting ready to shoot right now," he began. "I got to talk to the head writers. This story is going to be sick. It’s gonna be awesome. So, make sure you keep watching, because the pieces of the puzzle are gonna be fit for when I return."

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Burton's return to General Hospital will air Monday, March 4 on ABC (check local listings).