Something unexpected appears to be happening behind the scenes at EastEnders, and this latest casting development could have a major impact on the Branning family. Oscar Branning, the character who returned to Walford in 2025, is reportedly set to leave the Square in 2027.
For many viewers, this news is likely to come as a genuine surprise. Oscar has not been back in Walford for very long, yet during that relatively short period, he has gradually become an important part of the Branning story. His complicated relationship with his father Max has given him plenty of emotional material, while his involvement with Jasmine and Josh has allowed Oscar to develop beyond simply being known as Max’s son.
More recently, however, Oscar found himself caught up in one of the most unsettling flashforward moments involving the Branning family. That alone has left fans wondering whether his future in Walford could be connected to the danger already surrounding his family.
So, why is Oscar reportedly leaving? When will viewers see his final scenes? And could his departure be far more dramatic than anyone expects?
According to reports, the actor currently playing Oscar is preparing to leave EastEnders, with his final scenes expected to be filmed at Elstree. However, viewers apparently won’t have to say goodbye immediately. Oscar is expected to remain on screen until at least the beginning of 2027, meaning there is still plenty of time for the soap to build toward his eventual departure.
That also means there is a huge unanswered question hanging over the storyline: exactly how will Oscar leave Walford?
At this stage, there is no official confirmation that Oscar will be killed off. In fact, reports indicate that the door may be deliberately left open for the character to return in the future. If that is true, then Oscar’s exit could be less about permanently ending his story and more about giving him a reason to begin a new chapter away from the Square.
And considering Oscar’s age, that would certainly make sense.
Unlike an older character whose death might bring a definitive conclusion, Oscar has years of potential stories ahead of him. He could leave Walford, build a completely different life elsewhere, and potentially return several years later as a more mature and experienced character.
But before we get anywhere near a possible comeback, the soap still has to explain why Oscar would walk away in the first place.
Naturally, one of the first people who has to be considered is Max.
Oscar and Max have never exactly shared the simplest father-and-son relationship. Their history is filled with emotional baggage, misunderstandings and the consequences of Max’s decisions. Max has repeatedly struggled when it comes to maintaining healthy relationships with his children, although there have also been moments when he has genuinely tried to support them.
That makes Oscar’s eventual departure particularly interesting.
If Oscar chooses to leave Walford, how will Max react?
Will Max respect his son’s decision and encourage him to follow his own path? Or could he become desperate to keep Oscar close? There is even the possibility that circumstances could force Oscar out of Walford before Max has any opportunity to influence the decision.
Whatever happens, it would be surprising if Max were completely absent from Oscar’s final storyline. Their complicated relationship offers EastEnders an obvious opportunity to create an emotional father-and-son farewell.
And knowing Max, there is always the possibility that even a simple goodbye could turn into something much more complicated.
Then, of course, there is Oscar’s romantic storyline.
His involvement with Josh Goodwin and Jasmine Fischer has given viewers another reason to become invested in the character. The situation became increasingly complicated as feelings and relationships collided, placing Oscar in the middle of a situation that had consequences far beyond his family life.
What made this particularly significant was that Oscar was finally beginning to exist as a character in his own right.
He wasn’t simply Max Branning’s son anymore. He had his own relationships, his own emotional problems and his own decisions to make. His connection with Josh gave him a storyline independent of his father’s history, and that could make his eventual exit even more emotional.
So what happens to Josh when Oscar leaves?
Could they remain together and leave Walford as a couple? Could their relationship fall apart before Oscar’s departure? Or might Josh somehow become connected to the reason Oscar decides that his future lies somewhere else?
There is currently no confirmation of any of these possibilities, so they should be treated as speculation. But if the writers want Oscar’s departure to carry emotional weight, his relationship with Josh would certainly be one of the most obvious places to focus.
And then we reach the storyline that has fans looking at Oscar’s future in a completely different way.
Oscar has already been involved in the January flashforward, which delivered an extremely disturbing glimpse into what could happen to the Branning family.
In that sequence, Max was placed in an unimaginable situation. Oscar and Lauren were both being held at gunpoint, leaving Max facing a horrifying choice between his children.
It was already an incredibly tense moment for Max, but the reported news of Oscar’s departure adds another layer of intrigue.
Could that flashforward somehow foreshadow Oscar’s eventual exit?
There is absolutely no confirmation that this is the case, and it would be wrong to assume that the flashforward automatically means Oscar is heading toward a tragic ending. However, the timing is certainly enough to make fans suspicious.
Now that viewers know Oscar is reportedly leaving in 2027, every dangerous storyline involving him is likely to attract even more attention.
Could the gunpoint situation be connected to what eventually happens to him? Could Oscar survive the danger but decide that Walford is no longer a safe place to live? Or could the events surrounding the Branning family simply push him toward making a life-changing decision?
Those questions are currently unanswered, and that uncertainty could make the buildup to his exit even more compelling.
Oscar’s reported departure is also arriving at a fascinating time for EastEnders, because he may not be the only familiar face potentially preparing to leave Walford.
There have been reports surrounding several other major departures, including Kelly Bright’s exit after more than a decade playing Linda Carter. Michelle Ryan is also reportedly leaving the role of Zoe Slater, with her storyline potentially heading toward a devastating conclusion.
There have also been reports concerning Aaron Thiara and Ravi Gulati, although that particular departure has not been officially confirmed.
If all of these changes ultimately happen, Walford could look very different.
That naturally raises questions about what EastEnders is planning for its future. Is the soap gradually making room for a younger generation? Are established families being reshaped to create new storylines? Or are these simply examples of the normal cycle of a long-running soap, where characters eventually leave and new ones arrive?
Oscar’s situation is especially intriguing because he was brought back as part of the renewed focus on the Branning family. He seemed like a character who could potentially become part of the family’s future for many years.
Now, that future appears uncertain.
Still, there is one major reason fans shouldn’t necessarily view this as a permanent goodbye.
If the reports about the door being left open are accurate, Oscar could eventually return. And a temporary departure might actually allow the character to come back with an entirely different perspective.
Imagine Oscar returning to Walford years later, older and more confident, with a career, relationships and experiences that nobody in the Square knows about. He could walk back into the Branning family drama and immediately find himself surrounded by old conflicts and new secrets.
That possibility makes the reported 2027 exit feel less like an ending and more like the beginning of another chapter.
But first, the writers need to give Oscar a convincing reason to leave.
His departure could involve his relationship with Josh. It could stem from a major family conflict involving Max or Lauren. Perhaps a dangerous situation will convince him that he needs to get away from Walford. Or maybe Oscar will simply decide that the Square is no longer the place where he wants to build his future.
Whatever the explanation turns out to be, it would be surprising if Oscar simply packed a suitcase and disappeared without leaving an emotional mark.
Lauren could be deeply affected, particularly as her relationship with her brother has recently become closer. Max could also face another painful blow as one more of his children moves beyond his reach.
For now, the important point is that Oscar Branning is reportedly expected to remain part of EastEnders until at least early 2027, with his eventual exit storyline still being kept under wraps.
There is no confirmed information that Oscar will die, and the possibility of a future return reportedly remains open.
That leaves us with one huge mystery: what exactly happens between now and Oscar’s final appearance?
Will he leave Walford alongside Josh? Will a shocking family crisis force him away? Could the danger surrounding the Brannings finally catch up with him? Or will Oscar make the surprising decision to walk away from everything and start over somewhere completely new?
One thing is certain: knowing what may be coming makes every future Oscar storyline feel much more important.
His reported exit may still be months away, but the countdown could already be underway.
And if EastEnders is preparing one final major storyline for Oscar Branning, fans may want to pay very close attention to every warning sign before his final goodbye arrives.