Who is Mark Fowler Jr on EastEnders? Character return rumours explained

But when he broached the subject with ex-wife Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), Grant was stunned to realise that, unbeknown to him, Mark had been informed that he was Grant's son.

Sharon pointed out that Mark Jr is an adult, and so it was no longer up to his mum Michelle Fowler (Sue Tully, Jenna Russell) to decide anything for him.

Grant noted that Mark Jr hadn't been in touch with him, and soon he looked thoughtful as he clocked the young man's name in Sharon's address book.

Fans are now speculating if this moment has paved the way for a comeback for Mark Jr, but what is the character's background?

Read on below for all you need to know on the absent Mark Fowler Jr...

Who is Mark Fowler Jr in EastEnders?

Mark Jr was conceived after a one-night stand between Grant and Michelle. She moved to America, and the little boy was born in 1996.

Only Michelle's big brother Mark (Todd Carty) knew that Grant was the father, but 20 years later, Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) discovered a letter from Michelle in his then-wife Sharon's bag, addressed to the late Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor), which revealed Mark's paternity.

Sharon and Mark's uncle, Martin (James Bye), persuaded Phil not to tell Grant the truth after he contacted Mark, with Michelle telling her son that Phil had lied. Mark then turned up in Walford, where Phil stuck to Sharon's wishes and claimed he and Mark had never even spoken before.

Mark remained in Albert Square for a few weeks, bonding with the Fowler branch of his family. But there was cause for concern when Mark took a liking to Grant's daughter Courtney (played by Alice Nokes) and the feeling was mutual, with the pair unaware that they were half-siblings!

Sharon and Michelle's cousin Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) found out, rushing to stop Mark and Courtney from taking things any further.

They then arranged a flight back to the US for Mark; but before he could leave, Mark got to know Grant when he helped rescue the latter's nephew Ben (then played by Harry Reid) from the killers of Ben's boyfriend Paul Coker (Jonny Labey).

After the incident, Phil told Grant that Mark was his son, but after stopping Mark and Courtney kissing, Grant opted not to reveal the truth.

Grant had a last-minute change of heart and invited Mark for a drink, but when Mark spoke fondly about the dad who raised him, Grant ultimately stayed quiet.

But Mark worked out who Grant really was and had this confirmed by Sharon, who encouraged Mark to stay away from Grant. Mark returned to America and has not been seen since, but will that always be the case?

Will Mark Fowler Jr return to EastEnders?

So far, there has been no confirmation that Mark Jr will be heading back to Walford, although fans have been speculating whether certain circumstances may bring him back!

With Grant planning to return to Portugal, a comeback from Mark may not make sense if he's ever looking to connect with his father. But regardless of whether Grant gets in touch with Mark, Mark knows that there are plenty of Mitchell relatives around for him to get to know.

Aside from the link to Grant, though, is Mark's Fowler/Beale side of the family. His uncle Martin tragically lost his life during EastEnders' powerful live episode, and so Mark's sister Vicki (now played by Alice Haig) and cousin Bex (Jasmine Armfield) will be back to attend Martin's funeral.

With no sign of Michelle returning (that we know of), might Mark turn up to pay his own respects?

It's important to note that if Mark Jr was to reappear, the character would need to be recast - previous Mark actor Ned Porteous is currently starring in Emmerdale as Joe Tate.

Will we be seeing a new face take on the role of Mark Fowler Jr? We'll just have to watch this space!

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Emmerdale airs Monday to Friday at 7:30pm on ITV1. Stream on ITVX.

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