General Hospital Spoilers: Fans Still Miss the Darker Side of Sonny

General Hospital spoilers report that Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) is a far cry from the mobster with a heart of gold that he used to be.

The softer side of Sonny came out when he was tucked away in Nixon Falls, Pennsylvania — oblivious to who he was or where he came from.

Nina Reeves Corinthos (Cynthia Watros) may be his new wife for now, but at the time, she was holding him hostage without his knowledge — from his family and everyone who loved him.

While her actions were out of spite and meant with malice back then, she felt entitled to seek revenge against Carly Spencer (Laura Wright) for withholding information she had about Nelle Benson (Chloe Lanier).

While Sonny’s family may still be bitter about Nina’s decision to keep him all to herself and let his loved ones believe he was dead, the fans are bitter that Nina had a hand in reshaping Sonny into a weaker version of himself than we knew and loved for years. What gives?

General Hospital Spoilers — Sonny Was a Different Guy

Once upon a time, Sonny was fueled by anger and a steady competition for territory in Port Charles. Most of his time was spent on the business, or entertaining the latest woman who caught his eye.

Not everyone embraced the change from the violent and strategic man that Sonny once was to the alleged softy he’s become. Sure, he still knows how to level a threat to people like Cyrus Renault (Jeff Kober), but for the most part, he’s not nearly as conflict-oriented as before, and he isn’t all that frank with the people he loves.

It’s out of character with him and not the same guy we fell in love with for the first 25 years of his time on the show, give or take.

GH Spoilers Spill Maurice Likes the Change

Rumor has it Maurice Benard struggled with the angry and formidable persona of the former Sonny. He was longing for a more gentle version of the guy that let him express more joy and a softer side of himself through him.

At one point, it was said that Benard threatened to leave the show if they didn’t write a new angle to Sonny that allowed him more range and required less anger and angst.

Maybe that kind of personality day after day was a lot to take on. Benard has been vocal for years about his struggles with Bipolar Disorder. His condition may make it even harder for him to ride those ups and downs alongside the script.

General Hospital Spoilers — Pros and Cons

There is an upside to Sonny being a gentler version of himself. His grandchildren benefit far more, and he’s never been more interested in playing an active role in his family’s lives than he has been since he came home from Nixon Falls.

His romantic side hasn’t faltered, but some fans feel that his sweeter side comes across as far too saccharine now that there is no bad boy to balance it out.

In short, we can’t help but miss the slightly unstable but solidly reliable mob boss whom everyone feared. Will the eventual demise of his marriage to Nina bring us any relief and restore him to more of the man he used to be? We’re not holding our breath.

Stay tuned for more General Hospital news and spoilers to find out.