Could Max Branning die in the EastEnders flash-forward? Why the soap still needs this anti-villain's chaos

Every week, we think Max Branning (Jake Wood) can’t possibly sink any lower in EastEnders – and then that’s exactly what he does.

Desperate to embed himself into Linda Carter’s (Kellie Bright) family, Max allowed her to believe he had seen Mick Carter’s (Danny Dyer) body, despite having uncovered Janine Butcher’s (Charlie Brooks) scam to pass off another man’s remains as his.

Max’s motive? To ensure that Linda moves on from Mick once and for all and fully commits to him.

Mick's real fate remains unconfirmed, yet the Carters now think the devoted family man survived his plunge into the sea in 2022 and purposely abandoned all his children before dying only recently, and fans are furious with the despicable Max.

His other shocking sins include risking niece Amy Mitchell’s (Ellie Dadd) safety to get his hands on her inheritance, having yet another affair and ignoring a dying Zoe Slater’s (Michelle Ryan) pleas for help – and that’s just this year.

But what if taking Max to such extremes, garnering such a strong reaction, is leading to a permanent break of the cycle? The stage is set for a Max-centric New Year’s Day, so is EastEnders about to do the unthinkable and kill him off?

Here at Radio Times, the flash-forward episode itself fuels our fears that Max is not long for this world.

In the futuristic scenes, Max enjoys a loved-up phone call with his mystery bride – and he’s never looked happier. As they're set to get engaged, Linda is most likely the woman in question (though Bright’s imminent exit confirms it will be short-lived). But unguarded joy can often foreshadow a catastrophic event – and we already have the promise of disaster.

Remember poor Martin Fowler’s (James Bye) own soppy smile after his romantic reunion with Stacey, only for him to perish on the show’s live, 40th anniversary edition? No, we’re still not over it.

Like Martin, Max has had a lot of screen-time in the lead up to this big episode. Obviously, he had to have a starring role for the flash-forward arc to even make sense, but Max has clocked up more episodes than any other character in 2026, so it’s as good a time as any to don our detective hats and question whether we’re watching Max’s greatest hits tour.

Along with some softer, reflective scenes with daughter Lauren (Jacqueline Jossa) and son Oscar (Pierre Counihan-Moullier) of late, there have been some notable nods to Max's historic misdemeanours. Most recently, Sean Slater (Rob Kazinsky) enjoyed reminding him that decades on, he still hasn't changed.

EastEnders could simply be acknowledging the rewriting of history because it would be odd to ignore it – or maybe it’s leading to Max’s ultimate salvation, as he sacrifices himself to save Lauren and Oscar from the gun-wielding assailant that served as the flash-forward cliffhanger?

This would turn the whole story on its head and potentially change the hearts and minds of fans, while allowing side-lined Oscar to understand that his notoriously unreliable dad has always loved him.

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As for other potential clues, Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) has vowed to kill the man who left her beloved Zoe to die, so perhaps she succeeds – with or without the weapon.

And let’s not forget that Max’s ex-lover Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan Levy) is pregnant with his son. While he remains unaware, coinciding the arrival of Max’s sixth child with his death would double as a new beginning while keeping his legacy turning.

Jo Joyner, who played Max's ex-wife Tanya, also stopped by for a set visit, but what if EastEnders is concealing a surprise cameo to ensure closure for Max's first and biggest on-screen partnership?

There’s no denying that Max’s demise would deliver the kind of showstopping impact required by soap law – but he’d be leaving an almighty hole.

Why? Because, quite frankly, the show needs Max’s unfiltered chaos.

Played with seamless nuance by Jake Wood, Max falls into something of a grey area and therefore isn’t a villain – even though he consistently behaves like one. That complexity, and a longevity that traditional baddies just can’t have, has made Max the perfect soap character.

While Emmerdale and Coronation Street have been dominated by antagonists with no conscience; from Doctor Todd (Caroline Harker) and Tom King (James Chase) to Megan Walsh (Beth Nixon), Theo Silverton (James Cartwright) and now Ross Wilkes (Ian Burfield), long-established philanderer Max is neither inherently good or evil, instead slotting comfortably in the middle of that spectrum. More than 20 years after his debut, he continues to be the talk of EastEnders.

Even as we shout at him through our screens, we can never really hate Max because his intentions are all about his ego rather than deliberately causing people pain; and history teaches us that there’s always a chance, however slim, of a lesson learned.

As a teenager, Lauren (then played by Madeline Duggan) confessed that she ran her dad over. The catalyst was Max’s sordid affair with his daughter-in-law, a young Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), and he was deeply affected by the fallout of his toxic behaviour.

So he does care about the damage he’s doing – just not enough to stop himself from actually doing it!

His humility sets him apart from the likes of Janine, who can scheme and lie without even a flicker of emotion. Max did try coming clean to Linda over Mick, and is genuinely struggling to live with his deception.

Max had to be persuaded into passion with Priya, and while he's never shown quite so much conscience, it also put us in mind of his initial resistance towards Stacey.

He later showed genuine remorse for his treatment of women and guilt over what happened to Zoe. The concept didn’t last long before Max turned nasty and self-serving once more; but we're seeing far more of his moral compass these days and we still await the moment, teased retrospectively during the flash-forward, that Max charges to the rescue of young grandson Jimmy and great-nephew Ethan.

Could the soap be taking Max on a well-rounded journey, just in time to bring his story to an abrupt halt?

It's certainly a plausible theory, but bumping Max off would be a mistake. His messiness balances out the calmer, filler scenes so there’s never a lull for long, and the show needs his unique presence to soften the blow of that revolving door, which has been dispatching classic villains since soap records began.

Thanks to Max Branning, we’re never complacent while watching EastEnders because anything could happen. We just hope he’s still around to prove it beyond January 2027!

Read more:

• EastEnders airs guilt for Max Branning as emotional tribute made to Mick Carter in early BBC iPlayer release
• EastEnders icon Rob Kazinsky teases "never-seen-before" storyline for his character Sean Slater with plot that "treads new ground"
• EastEnders legend Jo Joyner returns to Walford set for Branning 'family reunion' - 8 years after last Tanya appearance
• EastEnders star teases "fire and carnage" when Penny Branning's baby paternity secret is revealed
• EastEnders favourite Balvinder Sopal teases Ash return is "grenade" to the Panesar family unit this autumn

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