“Starting tomorrow on General Hospital- Brennan’s got a brand new bag,” wrote Chris McKenna, who will now play the beloved character

General Hospital fans will soon see a new face playing the role of Jack Brennan.

Charles Mesure, 54, who debuted on the soap opera as the character on Dec. 1, 2023, has opted to step away from the role, PEOPLE can confirm. Soap Opera Digest first reported the news.

“Charles Mesure opted to exit the role of Brennan. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors,” General Hospital said on Monday, Feb. 3. “General Hospital looks forward to continuing Brennan’s exciting storyline with Chris McKenna in the role.”

Mesure’s last appearance on the show aired on Thursday, Jan. 30.

Chris McKenna, who starred in One Life to Live, will assume the role on Tuesday, Feb. 4.

McKenna, 47, celebrated the news on Instagram by sharing a screenshot of the Soap Opera Digest report. “Starting tomorrow on General Hospital– Brennan’s got a brand new bag. #GH,” he captioned the post.

Costar Laura Wright also shared the news on her Instagram Stories, writing, “Welcome to Port Charles @chrislmckenna.”

Mesure, whose television credits also include Desperate Housewives, The Magicians, and Once Upon a Time, shared in an interview with Soap Opera Digest in July 2024 his first soap opera audition was for General Hospital.

“Last year was a very strange year with the writers’ strike and the actors’ strike and so forth, and when [this audition came up],” Mesure said.

“I’ll be honest about it, I thought, ‘I’m an old dog. I’m not sure if I can learn any new tricks! I’m not sure if I can adapt to the huge amount of dialogue that these fantastic actors on shows like General Hospital can learn. I’m not sure if I can suddenly be a leading man again at the age of 53,’ ” he continued.