Days of Our Lives star Billy Flynn quit the NBC soap so now we get to see Chad DiMera exit in a few months. But how will the Peacock soap opera get rid of Chad given Billy leaving?
In just a few months, we get final scenes of Chad DiMera in early 2026. So the big question is how does he exit?
Will Chad be killed off? Will he be recast? Or will some other twisted misadventure take him out of Salem? Let’s dive into this coming exit.
The Shocking Exit of Billy Flynn: What’s Next for Chad DiMera on Days of Our Lives?
Of course, it was a huge shock when the news broke that Billy Flynn quit Days of Our Lives. He’s heading over to Young and the Restless to play a brand new role they created for him.
Since Days shoots eight to nine months ahead, we’ll still have Chad DiMera in storylines into early 2026. That means heading into Fall and Winter, we’ll see DOOL laying the groundwork to set up Billy Flynn’s exit.
We recently saw behind-the-scenes footage of a 60th-anniversary photo shoot. And Billy Flynn was in shots with two other actors. That was AnnaLynne McCord and Dan Feuerriegel.
Of course, the three of them play Chad, Cat Greene, and EJ DiMera. So it’s a big question of why is Cat in photos paired with these two brothers?
It kind of teases a love triangle. Or maybe a transfer of Cat’s affections from Chad over to EJ. Days of Our Lives may pivot her character in light of Chad leaving Salem in coming months.
Because the scenes air in episodes in November, it’s just a couple of months before Billy Flynn has his final air date. So, we may get some Chad action with Cat and EJ in the mix.
With that in mind, let’s talk about how they may exit Chad DiMera. And whether it’s going to be in a body bag or heading out of town for some reason. Or they may recast the role and replace Billy Flynn.
Death, Recast, or Reunion? Exploring the Potential Exit Strategies for Chad DiMera
The first and most obvious way that they may take Chad off Days of Our Lives is just to simply kill him off. The DiMeras lose family members fairly regularly.
However, they tend to come back from the dead eventually. So if they write out Billy Flynn’s character, they could bring him back at any point.
Heck, some DiMeras died more than once. EJ, for instance, is a case of coming back from the dead again. He’s again on the brink of death but wakes next week.
I do have to say I really don’t want to see Chad DiMera die. But since awful Clyde Weston (James Read) could wake from his coma at any point, he could prove dangerous to Chad’s ongoing good health.
So, creepy Clyde may kill him. So, death is definitely behind door number one at Days of Our Lives as a possibility for Chad’s fate and why he leaves the soap.
Recast Ahead for Chad on DOOL?
The second very obvious option to deal with Billy Flynn quitting the Peacock soap opera is simply to recast him. As you know, Days has no issue with doing recasts.
They did it with Brandon Barash (Stefan DiMera), replacing Tyler Christopher, God rest his soul. Cherie Jimenez now plays Camila Banus‘ role as Gabi Hernandez.
They even have Cady McClain and Melissa Reeves splitting time playing Jennifer Horton. Of course, the most controversial recent recast was when they swapped fan favorite Jen Lilley with Emily O’Brien. She took over as Theresa Donovan.
It could be that Days of Our Lives already auditioned Billy Flynn’s replacement, but we just don’t know it. There’s such a long lag because of how far ahead they film. We often find things out months later.
Death and recasting are both very common solutions on Days to any actor exit issues. So we may say bye to Chad or to Billy or to both the actor and the character come 2026.
If something happens, some accident that puts Chad into a coma, for instance. To me, that’s a red flag that they will recast the role at some point — even if they don’t replace Billy Flynn right away.
Reunion with Abigail Deveraux on Days of our Lives
A more satisfying exit for fans might be for Chad to leave Salem to reunite with Abigail DiMera, who turns out to be alive.
Chad’s been through the wringer since Clyde murdered Abby. Then, he was tormented by Cat pulling that fake Abby con. With Clyde in that coma and Abby’s grave empty, we still don’t know for sure if she is dead or alive.
Maybe Clyde wakes up and finally tells the truth. He may have Abigail held somewhere and she is very much alive. Or somebody else could tell Chad they have a lead on where Abby’s at and that she is alive and well.
Exclusive Rumor: Will Gwen Reveal Abigail’s Fate to Chad on DOOL?
I heard a rumor/leak that Gwen Rizczech may be the one with info for Chad on the fate of her half-sister. I mentioned it in a leak video.
But the idea of an off-screen Abby and Chad reunion certainly has its appeal because at least they’d be reunited. But it’d be better on-screen on Days of Our Lives.
Now, a slightly less satisfying version of the Abby-Chad situation would be if he got a solid lead on where Abby is. But Chad doesn’t know if he’ll find his beloved wife alive or just her remains.
Between now and then, Chad may be dating Cat. But most fans want Chad to pursue Abigail at least long enough to find the answer of whether she survived that brutal stabbing from Clyde.
So we could again see Chad getting some sort of hint. He may pack up the kids, drop them with Jennifer Horton and Jack Deveraux (Matthew Ashford) in Boston.
Then, Chad may head off Days of Our Lives. That way, he can see if he can get some closure. He can find out if she’s dead and lay her remains to rest.
Or, he may reunite with Abby if she is still alive. So, a quest could be how they exit Chad DiMera.
Moving On or Moving Away? Chad’s Potential Epiphany and Departure from Salem
One last way Days of Our Lives may write the character off as Billy Flynn leaves is for Chad to have some sort of epiphany. He may decide he can’t be in Salem because the memories are too hard.
He’s getting closer to Cat, but people don’t approve. And Chad probably won’t want to deal with the heat. So, he may decide he’s got to put Cat behind him.
He may decide to take his kids, and get out of Salem. It may all be too much to deal with and moving on with Cat feels wrong.
Chad could take the kids to his and Abby’s apartment in Paris to live. Or Chad could decide to move them across the country. They could relocate to Boston to be near his in-laws.
That way, they could all have a fresh start on somewhere where they have more family but fewer painful memories than they have in Salem.
Of course, we will let you know when we know Billy Flynn’s final air date as Chad DiMera on Days of Our Lives. We’ll be sure to share official spoilers on how he’ll exit once they come out.
And, of course, if my leaker shares some tidbits, I will let you guys know that too.
