6 things EastEnders needs to do for Max Branning's return

Max shared an on/off relationship with second wife Tanya (Jo Joyner), endured the tragic deaths of Bradley and daughter Abi (Lorna Fitzgerald), and took custody of Abi's namesake baby daughter.

After an ill-fated affair with Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), Max departed for New Zealand in 2021.

The BBC declined to comment when approached by RadioTimes.com regarding the character's suggested comeback (first reported by The Sun on Sunday).

If he does come home, there's plenty to keep Max occupied. But what are our most pressing concerns for Max? Let's dive in below...

6 things we need to see for Max Branning's return to EastEnders

1. Introduce him to daughter Annie Carter

Linda learned she was pregnant after Max's exit, and Max's brother Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) delivered baby Annie.

Initially, her husband Mick Carter (Danny Dyer) agreed to raise Annie as his own, but Jack soon clocked that Max was the little girl's father.

Jack agreed not to tell Max, and when Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) returned to live in Walford, she shared a warm first meeting with her young half-sister, also opting to keep Max in the dark.

But will Max take one look at Annie and realise that she's his child? There's no way Max can be shielded from this fact once he's back, so how will he react?

Will Max barge into the Carters' life and order Linda to give him access to Annie?

Either way, Max's discovery has to be inevitable.

2. Showdown with Cindy Beale - and more?

Cindy has made life rather tough for daughter-in-law-to-be Lauren, blackmailing her into keeping her secrets and consequently getting Lauren addicted to painkillers.

Although there was a brief ceasefire between the women when Cindy supported Lauren through childbirth, Lauren has shunned Cindy ever since, and Cindy blames her for son Peter Beale's (Thomas Law) decision to disown her.

Could Max end up in a showdown with Cindy over her treatment of Lauren? Well, yes, but we must point out that Max and Cindy are quite similar.

Apart from sharing a granddaughter in Abi Junior, whose father was the late Steven Beale (Aaron Sidwell), Cindy and Max are both serial adulterers and schemers.

Now, the jury's out on whether we'd favour them as an actual couple, but we could certainly predict some passion erupting between Max and Cindy, possibly mid-row!

3. Walk eldest daughter Lauren Branning down the aisle

Lauren will have a lot to cope with in the coming weeks, as she and Peter come to terms with a big diagnosis for newborn baby son Jimmy.

But if the Branning-Beale wedding goes ahead, Max should be there to walk Lauren down the aisle.

If Max arrives just in time for the occasion, it would be great to see him offer his support while bonding with his daughter and grandsons, focusing on what's really important.

Poor Lauren is surrounded by Beales at the moment, so it's about time she had some back-up from her side of the family.

Which brings us to our next point...

4. Build up the Branning clan

Although there are a number of Brannings around, from Jack and Lauren to Penny (Kitty Castledine), the clan feels rather spread out and less tight-knit since the departure of Max's nieces, Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) and Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer).

Lauren and Peter are keeping the legacy alive now they're living in the late Dot's (June Brown) home, so let's fill it up with more Brannings.

Max's presence might be just what's needed to buck Jack's ideas up; Jack was always the sensible one compared to Max, but he's hardly been an anchor in Max's absence! Let Max swoop in and bring everyone together.

5. Reflect on his messy history and catch up on local gossip

With Stacey due to exit this year, it would be a missed opportunity if she and Max didn't cross paths first.

This isn't us campaigning for a 'Stax' affair 3.0, we just love exploring the bond that Max and Stacey share, as even when they're not romantically entangled, there's a lot of platonic warmth between these two.

Max should also have scenes with old enemies like Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) and Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt). Of course, Max and Ian will be in-laws soon, so that dynamic would be interesting to watch.

And, unless Max has dropped Abi Junior off with her other guardian, her great-aunt Rainie Highway (Tanya Franks), we could also see her brother-in-law Callum Highway (Tony Clay) wanting a word with Max.

Beyond revisiting his past, Max has much to catch up on, including the fact that Jack also had an affair with Stacey!

We want to see Max interacting with the locals and getting all the lowdown.

6. Learn from (some of) his mistakes

No, we're not hoping to see a totally changed man – but let's not have Max coming in between any other couples, please!

Lauren even caught him in bed with her best friend in New Zealand, so it might be refreshing to see Max really tone it down and take a break from his womanising ways.

He had a few genuine love matches during his original stint, so he is capable of actually committing. How about seeing Max form a proper relationship, or otherwise simply staying away from any liaisons for a while?

Sure, we'd expect Max to return to his old ways eventually, as a completely reformed character would be boring; but for now, a change of pace for Max would be welcome.

Read more:

• EastEnders confirms Lacey Turner exit as grieving Stacey Slater to take a break from Walford
• EastEnders boss says soap is exploring "uncharted territory" under new producer
• EastEnders boss teases character return, says fans won't "be disappointed"
• EastEnders' Danny Dyer recalls his favourite ever Mick Carter storyline
• EastEnders legend Shona McGarty teases new music a year on from Whitney's exit
• Danny Dyer says EastEnders producer "didn't like the Carters" following soap exit

EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer.

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