Many soap opera fans were super stoked when rumors began swirling over the New Year's holiday that longtime The Young and the Restless star Daniel Goddard (ex-Cane Ashby) had joined Days of our Lives as a recast in the role of E.J. DiMera. Could Sami's long-lost love finally be returning to Salem? Sadly, it seems that the casting rumor -- as golden as it was -- is just a rumor based on a misunderstanding.
The confusion started when She Knows published an article with a list of New Year predictions the site had for each daytime soap opera. In a photo gallery accompanying the article, the publication gave a 2021 DAYS prediction that read, "When Days of our Lives Sami returns to Salem, she'll do so with true love EJ, no longer a shell of his old self but the spitting image of The Young and the Restless Daniel Goddard (ex-Cane)."
Goddard jumped at the chance to play along with the site's made-up prediction, sharing in a since-deleted tweet, "Well, hello #DaysofOurLives" that also included a winky face.
Several fans mistook the combination of She Knows' fake predictions article and Goddard's tweet as news that the actor had joined DAYS -- which is unfortunately not the case. However, one never knows what might happen in the future now that the rumor has made the rounds. The last actor to play E.J. DiMera -- James Scott -- recently said that he will "never, never, never" go back to DAYS, so the role is open if the powers that be decide to bring the character back.
Goddard joined Y&R in 2007 and was shocked when the CBS soap opera unexpectedly wrote him off the canvas in 2019.
"It's with a heavy [heart] that I share the news that I will no longer be part of the cast of the Young & the Restless. I'm as shocked & gutted as u r," Goddard wrote at the time. "I'm forever grateful for my 13yrs in the Y&R family but sadly it seems that without Neil & Lily... there just is no Cane."
Are you disappointed to learn that Daniel Goddard apparently will not be taking over the role of DAYS' E.J.? Would you welcome the actor in the role of Sami's long-absent love? Who else can you imagine playing the role now that James Scott has confirmed he will never return? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.