TL;DR: He’s baaaack! Or is he? Salem’s most notorious villain, Stefano DiMera, might be clawing his way back from the dead AGAIN, and the clues on DAYS are everywhere if you know where to look. From Susan Banks’ psychic visions to whispered Phoenix references, the DiMera patriarch’s sinister influence is spreading through Salem like wildfire.
Susan’s Supernatural Sixth Sense Goes Into Overdrive
You know things are about to get messy in Salem when Susan Banks (Stacy Haiduk) starts having psychic visions about dead villains. This woman has supernatural abilities that would make Miss Cleo jealous, and she’s been getting major Phoenix vibes lately. Susan returned to Salem in April 2025 after EJ DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel) was shot and she sat with her son until he came out of the coma, trying to use her psychic powers to figure out who tried to kill him.
While scolding EJ, Susan gets a chill, and she suddenly utters, “Stefano DiMera is alive!” EJ reminds her that Stefano died years ago, but Susan remains unconvinced. When Susan Banks makes supernatural proclamations, Salem residents should probably start shopping for life insurance policies because her track record for predicting disaster is practically flawless.
The Portrait That Started It All
Stefano DiMera’s (Joseph Mascolo) portrait has been making unexpected appearances around town, and longtime fans know this is never a coincidence. Every decorator in Salem didn’t order a “portrait of Stefano for the foyer.” That haunting image of the Phoenix himself seems to be watching over the DiMera mansion with an almost supernatural presence. When that portrait shows up prominently in storylines, chaos follows faster than you can say “pawn.”
The painting’s presence has been front and center during recent DiMera family drama, too, and there’s something ominous about the way characters keep gravitating toward it during crucial conversations. Susan revealed that she could feel the presence of Stefano in DiMera’s living room, and her psychic connection to the portrait is giving everyone the chills.
Phoenix References Are Dropping Like Breadcrumbs
The word “Phoenix” has been thrown around Salem more than a beach ball at a summer party. In the summer 2025 preview of Days of Our Lives, Rafe Hernandez (Galen Gering) used one of Stefano’s iconic nicknames, “The Phoenix”, possibly also foreshadowing a return for the character. Since then, characters are dropping references left and right about resurrection, rebirth, and rising from the ashes.
Rafe even admitted to Cat Greene (AnnaLynne McCord) that while unlikely, if there was anyone who could cheat death for the 1000th time, it would be Stefano. When Salem’s police commissioner starts acknowledging the Phoenix’s track record for miraculous resurrections, you know something supernatural is brewing in the DiMera universe.
The DiMera Legacy Lives On
Chad DiMera (Conner Floyd) and EJ DiMera have been acting stranger than usual lately, and that’s saying something for this family. There’s something in their behavior that screams “family patriarch pulling strings from beyond the grave.” The brothers have been exchanging knowing glances and having hushed conversations that would make even the most seasoned Salem resident nervous.
Both Chad and EJ are entertained by Susan’s predictions – they don’t take them seriously. This may prove to be a poor decision on their part, because Susan insists she can feel their father’s presence. When the DiMera sons start dismissing psychic warnings, that’s a sign for their father to step forward and prove them spectacularly wrong.
Tony DiMera (Thaao Penghlis) has also been particularly cryptic lately, speaking in riddles that would make a fortune cookie writer jealous. Toward the end of the summer and beyond preview video, Thaao Penghlis’ voice can be heard saying, “It’s almost time, Father”. That’s either Tony talking or his evil doppelganger André DiMera, and they seem to have been plotting something sinister from beyond the grave.
Kristen’s Prison Prophecies
Kristen DiMera (also played by Stacy Haiduk) has been making odd comments from behind bars that have the DiMera family on edge. Even from prison, this is a woman who never misses an opportunity to drop hints about family secrets, and her recent remarks about “father’s unfinished business” have everyone wondering what she knows that the rest of Salem doesn’t.
The fact that Stacy Haiduk plays both Kristen and Susan adds an extra layer of intrigue to the storyline. When both characters start making ominous predictions about Stefano, Salem better prepare.
Marlena’s Phoenix Nightmares Return
Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) has survived more DiMera schemes than she cares to count, and her instincts about the Phoenix are rarely wrong. She’s been having those familiar nightmares again – you know the ones – where Stefano’s voice echoes through her subconscious like a bad song you can’t get out of your head.
Marlena expressed hesitation to declare her nemesis gone for good, and when Salem’s most experienced psychiatrist starts questioning reality, that’s usually when Stefano makes his grand entrance. Her supernatural connection to Stefano has been established for decades, making her one of the most reliable Phoenix early warning systems in Salem. She’s kind of like a human weather indicator. She can feel a bad moon rising miles away and in this case, the storm is clearly named Stefano.
The Phoenix Never Really Dies
History has taught us that Stefano DiMera doesn’t stay dead for long. The man has more comebacks than a boomerang, and each one is more theatrical than the last. Remember when he supposedly died in that plane crash? Or when he was shot by Hope Brady (Kristian Alfonso)? Stefano survived, then died in hiding years later. None of his family members got to say real farewells and apparently his body has been MIA ever since.
Dr. Wilhelm Rolf (Richard Wharton) actually succeeded for a moment in time when he used Steve Johnson (Stephen Nichols) as a guinea pig to be the new Stefano. If the mad scientist can implant consciousness into people, who’s to say he doesn’t have other Phoenix resurrection tricks up his lab coat sleeves?
Stefan’s Mysterious Disappearance
Recent mentions of Stefano’s son, Stefan DiMera (Brandon Barash), have been particularly ominous. Gabi Hernandez(Cherie Jimenez) thought her ex-husband Stefan skipped town and divorced her and is off living his best life in Alamainia. But Gwen Rizczech (Emily O’Brien) said she never saw Stefan at all during her stay with the von Leuschner family.
When DiMera family members start going missing without a trace, that’s usually when daddy dearest makes his grand entrance. Tony DiMera insists that Stefan sent a get-well card to EJ after his shooting, but that could have come from literally anybody who just signed the name.
Salem Braces for Impact
The whispers are getting louder, the coincidences are piling up, and veteran fans know exactly what this means. Several storylines during recent Days of Our Lives episodes suggest that Stefano DiMera will indeed make yet another miraculous return from the dead. This time feels different though – more calculated, more sinister, more worthy of a 60th anniversary storyline.
Spoilers for this week also have Rafe Hernandez telling Cat Greene there’s a reason Stefano was called the Phoenix. The stage is set, the players are in position, and Salem is about to get a masterclass in why you should never count the Phoenix out.
Stefano DiMera’s greatest comeback might just be his most spectacular yet – especially if the Peacock soap brings Stefano back in the form of a recast actor who will honor Joseph Mascolo’s legacy while giving fans the villain they’ve been craving.
