If Salem is the battlefield, then Dimitri von Leuschner is the new fuse.

After months of disappearance, Dimitri unexpectedly returns in the first episode of 2026 with a completely different appearance – cold, mysterious, and with a single goal: revenge.

According to revealed spoilers, Dimitri holds evidence of the stock manipulation of DiMera Enterprises, threatening to bring down the entire family if EJ doesn’t accept his demands.

But EJ isn’t one to surrender – he immediately retaliates with a plan called “The Fatal Deal,” which could send both of them to hell.

The scene of EJ standing in front of the mirror, tying his tie and saying, “If this is the end, at least it will be the end I choose” sends chills down fans’ spines. He is no longer a husband, a father – but a lonely king preparing to sacrifice himself for his empire.

While Dimitri shakes hands with a mysterious figure (most likely Sophia – who is on the run from Bayview), EJ approaches Kristen to offer a deal: if he fails, she must uphold the DiMera name and protect their daughter Rachel at all costs. The scene of the two brothers staring at each other in the dark room, the ticking of the clock, creates the feeling of a life-or-death game with no way out.