In March 2008, rumors began circulating that Cash's contract was about to expire and would not be renewed,[5] and by April several sources confirmed the fact.

[8] You'd think growing up as the son of a mobster would mean violence wasn't a big deal, but a stray bullet (meant for his dad) sent Michael into a coma that changed his life, and his family, forever.

In March 2009, after months of speculation, it was confirmed by TV Guide that soap newcomer, Drew Garrett had been cast in the role and would make his debut on April 24, 2009.

[21] The producers had begun developing a new role for Michael's sister, Kristina Davis (Lexi Ainsworth)'s, love interest, which Duell also auditioned for.

[38] When Guza returned to his post as head writer, rumors circulated on Internet message boards that Michael would be the next casualty of a mob war.

According to one poster, Michael would be left comatose in order to "spirit the character off the canvas and ignite the current true-loving Jason's bloodlust for the Zaccharas.

Guza's dialogue for the Johnny Zacchara character expresses that all four are to blame, stating, "kill each other for power and money and turn around and lie and say that we have honor, that we protect family, that women and children are safe."

[10] The story also featured a guest appearance on the June 29, 2009 episode from then Arizona Diamondbacks Outfielder, Connor Jackson, as Michael's physical therapist.

The women end up at an abandoned cabin in the woods where a crazed Claudia, still grieving over her own miscarriage, plans to take Carly's newborn daughter Josslyn for herself.

He finds the cabin, and hearing his mother's screams, Michael grabs the first thing he sees — an axe handle — and swings it, bludgeoning Claudia to death.

[51] After the murder, Michael makes a "startling" change in behavior by not showing any emotional reaction, believing Claudia deserved what she got, and justifying his actions to save his mother and sister.

The reckless behavior is Michael's attempt to live up to the Corinthos reputation, even going so far as to sic Sonny's goons on Kristina's jerk boyfriend, Kiefer Bauer (Christian Alexander).

[66] Fairman's words may have been prophetic because Andrea Bogart officially departed from the series several months later on December 13, 2011, when Abby is killed in a construction accident, leaving Michael devastated.

However, their new friendship and budding romance is threatened with re-introduction of Michael's sister, Kristina (Lindsey Morgan) and the arrival of her reality show producer, Trey Mitchell (Erik Valdez).

Michael makes several attempts to reunite his parents, but eventually forms a bond with his stepfather Jasper Jacks (Ingo Rademacher).

When a serial killer begins terrorizing Port Charles, claiming the lives of Emily and his nanny Leticia (Jessi Morales), and almost his mother, Michael takes it upon himself to protect his family by purchasing a gun.

However, Sonny's new-found son, Dante Falconeri (Dominic Zamprogna) finds Michael and brings him back, where he confesses under oath to Claudia's murder.

Michael befriends a grieving Starr Manning (Kristen Alderson) after his failed attempt to save her daughter and boyfriend, and they soon start dating.

Michael gets drunk and wakes up in bed with Sonny's ex-wife Brenda Barrett (Vanessa Marcil), believing they have slept together; it's later revealed that they didn't.

Michael gives Teddy to Joe Rivera (Jeffrey Vincent Parise) Carlos' brother; who takes his nephew back to Puerto Rico.

Michael later begins a relationship with Willow Tait (Katelyn MacMullen), and the two later fall in love and get married at the Quartermaine Mansion and have a child, a daughter named Amelia Corinthos.

"[75] Despite his controversial firing, Garrett received a Daytime Emmy nomination in the Outstanding Younger Actor category for his portrayal of Michael following Claudia's murder.

[84] In 2023, Charlie Mason from Soaps She Knows placed Michael at #36 on his ranked list of General Hospital’s 40+ Greatest Characters of All Time, commenting "Despite having one dad who’s a career criminal (hey there, Sonny Corinthos) and another who never met a plot that he wouldn’t hatch (R.I.P, A.J.

"[89][90] Allison Waldmen of The Huffington Post stated, "It's hard to fathom why 'GH' has made this switch," explaining that Garrett was very good in his portrayal of Michael, and that he fit nicely with his costars.

[98] In a review, Becca Thomas and Mallory Harlen said they were disappointed in Garrett's ousting considering his portrayal was one of the big reasons for them to watch.

Due to the rarity of television shows dealing with the reality of prison rape, critics wondered if the story was being used progressively or just to garner ratings.

[101] Daniel Villarreal of the online magazine Queerty commented, "Showing [the rape's] effects on the young man makes for a more heartrending tale than if they’d just shown the attack."

Other soap operas, All My Children, The Young and the Restless, and One Life to Live all featured storylines alluding to prison rape in the 1980s, but GH is the first of the genre to actually address the reality in full.

[63] Chrissie Ortiz of TVSource noted that Michael's confession scenes "struck an emotional chord" allowing for the actors to deliver "heart-wrenching" performances.

Ortiz labeled Duell's performance as "brilliant" and applauded scriptwriters, Karen Harris and Michele Val Jean for their "amazing writing".