If you thought EastEnders had already put us through enough emotional trauma, think again. As we officially stagger into 2026, Walford feels like a battlefield littered with unanswered questions — and at the center of the storm stands Max Branning.

The New Year flashforward didn’t just tease the future. It threatened it. And the more fans rewind, rewatch, and dissect every frame, the clearer one terrifying possibility becomes:

Let’s break down the 21 burning questions that suggest Max’s story is racing toward its darkest, deadliest chapter yet.

2025 was savage. The exits of Nish Panesar and the devastating loss of Martin Fowler ripped the heart out of Albert Square. Martin’s absence still echoes — the market feels quieter, colder, emptier.

And then… Max returned.

Because chaos always comes back to Walford.

The flashforward confirms Max is heading toward wife number five. The bride? A total mystery.

Camera pans lingered on:

• Chelsea Fox

• Linda Carter

• Cindy Beale

• Denise Fox

Each option is explosive. But weddings in EastEnders rarely end in “happily ever after.” They end in sirens, tears… or body bags.

Another woman. Pregnant. Ultrasound on the bedside table.

She’s not the bride.

Is Max hiding a mistress? Protecting a secret? Or unknowingly sitting on a ticking time bomb that will destroy everything? One thing is certain — another Branning baby means another curse.

Police swarm the Square. Max is arrested for solicitation of murder — a charge that screams long-term planning.

The intended victim is never named.

That silence is deafening.