As much as General Hospital viewers love Maurice Benard's Sonny Corinthos (and we mean love), there has always been a lurking feeling that perhaps fans would love him even more if he had not gotten wrapped up in the mob, fallen into a life of crime, and murdered several people over the years. Well, for those fans who have wondered what a squeaky-clean, good-guy version of Sonny might look like, GH is making the fantasy a reality.
As fans know, Brooklyn-raised Sonny (a.k.a. Michael Corinthos Jr.) endured an extremely tumultuous childhood, having been abandoned at a young age by his father, Mike, and later abused by stepfather/police officer Deke Woods.
The youngster's instability made him perfect pickings for local crime boss Joe Scully, who set Sonny on his "career." But what if that had never happened? The ABC soap opera is set to air a special Sonny-centric episode on Monday, November 12, that explores what the character's life would be like had he taken a different path a quarter of a century ago.
GH's stand-alone "What If...?" episode, made to celebrate portrayer Maurice Benard's 25th anniversary as the beloved character, will delve deep into an alternate reality. And it has been made extra special with the addition of Dominic Zamprogna, who has reprised his role as Sonny's son Dante for the hour, as well as Benard's 13-year-old real-life son, Joshua, who plays a young Sonny.
Despite his questionable past, Sonny has managed to become one of the show's most popular characters of all time. He has found and lost love numerous times, has had marriages to four different women, and is a proud grandfather. Will the good things also be different in Sonny's second universe?
While waiting for the special episode's airdate, fans can take a virtual walk through Sonny's past in this special video GH put together for Benard's 25th anniversary. And for a sneak peek at the upcoming "What If...?" episode, check out the official teaser trailer below.
UPDATE: After the Sonny-centric episode concluded, Maurice Benard took to Twitter to thank General Hospital for his last 25 years of employment. "What an honor I'm humbled by today's show," Benard shared.
.@GeneralHospital thank you for the last 25 years! What an honor I'm humbled by today's show. Thank you @valentinifrank @phideaux_xavier and the entire cast, crew and fans. #MB25
— Maurice Benard (@MauriceBenard) November 12, 2018
If you missed the special episode, you can read our full-length recap of the episode here.
What do you think about GH exploring an alternate reality for Sonny in a special "what if?" episode? How do you think Sonny would be had he not chosen a life of crime? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
