EASTENDERS’ Mark Fowler Jr is set to return to Walford later this month for a new storyline.
On New Year’s Day, viewers were taken into the future with an episode set in 2027 that centred around Max Branning.
One scene showed Max as he nodded at a man in the street from his window, leaving many curious what this man’s significance is.
The same man was part of a conversation including Max and his daughter Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) elsewhere in the episode.
And now the BBC can reveal that the man in question is Mark Fowler Jr, with actor Stephen Aaron-Sipple recast in the role.
The character was previously played by Ned Porteous for a short stint in 2016.
Ned has since swapped the East End for life in the Dales after landing the role of Joe Tate in Emmerdale in 2017 and returning to the soap in 2024.
Mark returns to Walford to join his older sister Vicki Fowler, portrayed by Alice Haig, and the Mitchell family.
Stephen joined the cast in October and has already made his debut when he appeared in the recent New Year’s Day flashforward episode, placing him at the centre of the Branning’s unfolding drama.
Little is known about why Mark has returned and what he has been up to in the time he has been away, but it soon becomes clear not all is as it seems.
Speaking about his new role, Stephen said: “Having grown up in East London, EastEnders has been in my life since childhood and I’m excited to be joining not one, but two iconic Albert Square families.
“I’m looking forward to viewers seeing why Mark is back, and what Walford has in store for him.”
Executive Producer Ben Wadey said: “We are thrilled to welcome Stephen Aaron-Sipple to EastEnders and bring Mark back to Albert Square.
“Viewers had a glimpse of Mark in the New Years Day flashforward episode, with the circumstances around his upcoming involvement with the Brannings set to unfold throughout the year.”
Mark Jr was last seen in 2016 when he discovered that Grant was his father after getting close with Courtney Mitchell, who he did not realise at the time was his half-sister.
The drama-filled New Year’s episode left viewers with more questions that answers.
But one fan spotted a blunder by bosses that revealed Mark’s identity.
Taking to X, they noticed that the show’s audio description – which is for visually impaired viewers – described the man and called him “Mark”.
“The audio description has identified the man Max waved at as ‘Mark’ – the same man mystery man who was part of that Lauren, Oscar, Peter, Jack conversation. Is this Mark Fowler Jr?” they wrote.
The episode also hinted that Max’s daughter, Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) is having an affair.
She is seen exchanging messages with someone who wants her to slip away from the wedding planning.
The X user further wondered if this man is Lauren’s secret lover, ending their tweet: “Is this who Lauren is having an affair with?”
Mark Fowler Jr, who some are suspecting the description referred to, is the son of Grant Mitchell and Michelle Fowler.
He was conceived during a one-night-stand and born in 1996.
