LEO STARK IN DANGER AS ORPHEUS RETURNS AND SOFIA MATTSSON BECOMES CHLOE LANE
TL;DR:The new Days of Our Lives winter promo shows Javi trying to revive Leo Stark, brings Orpheus back and reveals Sofia Mattsson as Chloe Lane. Here is what each tease means.
Javi Hernandez Fights to Bring Leo Back
Updated November 2, 2026, 8:00 PM ET, with new details from the extended winter preview.
The Days of Our Lives winter promo dropped Monday, November 2, 2026, and it does not ease anybody in. Javi Hernandez is shown trying to revive Leo Stark, and the clip cuts away before we learn whether he succeeds. Two more jolts ride along with it. Orpheus is back, and Chloe Lane returns with Sofia Mattsson in the role.
Let’s be precise, because this is a promo and not an obituary. Nothing that has aired says Leo is dead, and nobody has announced that Greg Rikaart is leaving. What the footage shows is Javi frantic over a man who is not responding. That is the cliffhanger, and the outcome is still a secret.
The timing is cruel. These Days of Our Lives spoilers have Leo and Javi happily back together, and on Tuesday, November 3, the two of them celebrate. This week’s preview also has Leo opening a suitcase packed with cash, and nobody has said whose money it is.
If you follow our daily recaps, you know how they got here. Javi kissed Leo at Small Bar on October 22 after admitting he could not stay just friends, and by October 26 they were back on. Javi had already warned that Leo was taking a risk digging into those counterfeit handbags. Suddenly that warning looks like foreshadowing.
Did that promo leave you rattled? Write to our editor at amber@soapoperamagazine.com and tell us what you think happens to Leo.
Orpheus Returns to Haunt Salem
Then there is Orpheus. George DelHoyo’s super villain was last seen in spring 2025, when Marlena Evans knocked him out in an Estonia hotel room on March 31 and he slipped away before the ISA could haul him off. This is the man who blackmailed a governor in 2022 to push a pardon through. Nobody pays Orpheus a call for small talk, and this time Marlena and Steve go to him: the promo has the pair paying Orpheus a visit.
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My gut says his timing is no accident. Dominic Marino just walked into town, greeting EJ in the promo with “Hello, brother,” and Marlena is at the center of that birth certificate mystery. Why else would she go knocking on Orpheus’s door now? Could he even be behind whatever puts Leo Stark on the floor? Nothing in the promo ties those threads together yet, and Leo has been poking bears all fall: Javi called his EJ story dangerous before he ever kissed him.
Is Leo Stark Dying on Days of Our Lives?
Not according to anything that has aired or been announced. The winter promo shows Javi fighting to revive Leo Stark, which is a fight for his life, not a funeral. Greg Rikaart is on contract and on this week’s episodes, with no exit reported anywhere. Soaps love to end a promo on a body that might get back up, so hold the tissues until Javi’s fight actually plays out.
Sofia Mattsson Steps Into Chloe Lane’s Shoes
This is the casting news longtime fans have been waiting on. Sofia Mattsson, best known as Sasha on General Hospital, joined the show this spring, with her first air date pegged for early 2027. Her role was kept quiet until this promo showed her as Chloe, with Brady Black greeting her, “Hi, Chloe,” and Chloe answering, “I’ve missed you so much.” The preview even has the two of them sharing a kiss. Nadia Bjorlin said this summer that the show asked her back, but the logistics did not work.
And Chloe walks right into a minefield. Brady was married to her and just let Sarah go, Philip Kiriakis once pictured having kids with her, and her sister Joy Wesley is under fire after Stephanie called her a fraud over those muscle relaxants. Chloe’s long Salem history means every one of those doors swings open the minute she lands. If I know these writers, she ends up in the middle of all three.
So here is where the winter stands. Leo Stark needs Javi to pull off a miracle, Orpheus is back in play, and Chloe is finally coming home. Salem is about to get darker and a whole lot messier at the same time.
See also
Days of Our Lives Spoilers: Brady Black and Gwen Rizczech Rebound Predicted
Which return thrills you more, Orpheus or Chloe? Make your case in the comments and tell us whether Javi saves Leo.
Want more from Salem? Find every story in our Days of Our Lives coverage.
Javi Saves Leo and Chloe Steals the Winter
We are calling it. Javi gets Leo breathing again, and that scare is what finally pushes these two toward the altar. Orpheus is the wildcard, and we would not trust him around Marlena or anyone else she loves.
The real prize is Chloe. Brady, Philip and Joy all have unfinished business with her, and Sofia Mattsson gets a juicy first act. Tell us who you want Chloe to rattle first on our Facebook page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is playing Chloe Lane on Days of Our Lives now?
Sofia Mattsson, the former General Hospital star who joined Days of Our Lives this spring, is shown as Chloe Lane in the winter promo released November 2, 2026. Nadia Bjorlin, who played Chloe for years, said the show asked her back but the logistics did not work out.
Is Orpheus back on Days of Our Lives?
Yes. Orpheus appears in the Days of Our Lives winter promo released November 2, 2026. George DelHoyo last played the villain in spring 2025, when Marlena knocked him out in Estonia and he slipped away. No air date for his return has been announced yet.
What did you think?
Days of Our Lives Spoilers: Marlena Evans and Steve Johnson Visit Orpheus in Winter Promo as Dominic Marino Arrives
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