[Need to know]EastEnders questions that need to be answered after Max Branning’s flashforward

EastEnders’ flashforward episode is already the most-talked about soap moment of 2026 – as the epic New Year’s Day episode got off with a bang.

Fans of the BBC soap were taken forward in time by a whole year in last night’s episode with many exciting new storylines, characters and twists and turns teased for 2026 in the episode.

The episode has left fans asking a string of questions on social media, and below the Mirror has listed all the burning questions we hope to find out answers to in 2026…

1. Who is Max Branning’s bride? The identity has been whittled down to four possible candidates: Linda Carter, Chelsea Fox, Cindy Beale and Denise Fox?
2. What has happened between Jack Branning and Max Branning? The start of the episode sees Jack looking at an all-time low as Lauren goes to visit him and sees him drinking.
3. Who is the mother of Jack Branning’s new baby Ethan? Inside Jack’s house is a bassinet with a little bundle of joy inside, who is later revealed as Ethan. It seems clear that Jack is the dad, but who is the mum? And are Jack and Denise still together?
4. Why is Ian Beale Max’s best man? Max and Ian have always had a tendency to hate one another, so fans were surprised to see he had been chosen to act as Max’s best man for his fifth wedding.
5. Who is Max’s pregnant lover? The start of the episode sees Max waking up next to a pregnant woman – although her face isn’t shown. It appears whoever is having Max’s baby isn’t the one he is marrying though, as he calls his bride while the pregnant woman is in another room.
6. Did Max help plot someone’s murder? If so, who? During the action-packed episode, Max is seen been arrested by police on suspicion of solicitation to murder – an offence which involves someone asking another person to commit murder. However, the identity of the victim, or if they have actually been killed, is not known.
7. Is Max being set up? If so, by who? While Max is hauled away from Albert Square by the cops, he protests his innocence – but is he really being set up?
8. What is Lauren Branning hiding? During the episode Lauren receives a text from an unsaved number which reads: “Meet me. Usual place. Now” – this and her shady behaviour in the episode, as well as a dig from her dad Max about what she’s been ‘up to’ has lead fans questioning if she has been unfaithful to husband Peter. What is clear, however, is she is hiding something.
9. Who is the mystery man with the Brannings? A strange man, credited only as ‘man’ as the episode ended, is seen hanging around with the Brannings, but his link to them is currently unclear.
10. Who is Oscar Branning dating? Oscar recently split from Jasmine – who recently discovered she was the daughter of Zoe Slater and Anthony Trueman. But the flashforward seems to hint they may have rekindled as Patrick calls Oscar a Trueman while helping fix his tie. Meanwhile, Lauren also teases Oscar’s romance but doesn’t name any names.
11. Who owns the Queen Vic? And what happened to its window? While the pub appears to be preparing to host Max’s wedding reception the Vic’s landlords seem to be nowhere in sight. However, trusty barmaid Tracey is on hand to set up. As she collects a delivery at the start of the episode outside the pub, a man is seen boarding up one of the pub’s windows – but it’s unclear how or why it’s been damaged…
12. Who is the gloved stranger in the van? As the episode begins, a very rundown van is seen ominously approaching Albert Square – the driver’s identity is hidden as they’re wearing gloves.
13. Who kidnaps Lauren and Oscar? The end of the episode sees Max receive a text instructing him to ‘choose’ between Oscar and Lauren as a video shows a gloved hand holding a gun to each of them in a dingy room. Who the kidnapper is, though, is unknown at this moment in time – though it could be linked to the stranger in the van.
14. Why is Libby back? Denise Fox’s daughter Libby last appeared on the soap in May 2014 – four years after she left Walford for Oxford – however, she makes a reappearance in the flashforward episode alongside Patrick.
15. Where is Denise? While the rest of the potential brides are seen getting ready, Denise is nowhere to be seen. At the start of the episode Jack claims she “stormed out” of their house, but when Libby finds her phone on the dining room table amongst a pair of shoes and a Champagne flute, Denise is not there.
16. Why is Nicola Mitchell injured? And did she have George’s baby? the episode sees Nicola and George in the Queen Vic. During her appearance, Nicola is seen sporting a crutches, with her leg in a brace. How she came to be injured is currently not clear.