DAYS OF OUR LIVES SUMMER PREVIEW 2025: BABY KIDNAPPED, STEFANO RETURNS, MARLENA FAINTS IN COURT?!

Days of our Lives is turning up the heat this summer! A new promo that's been released on social media shows plenty of drama, romance, intrigue, and danger ahead for Marlena, Sami, the Hortons, the Kiriakases, the DiMeras, and more!

DAYS head writers Paula Cwikly and Jeanne Marie Ford have devised compelling tales that are going to keep viewers on the edge of their seats! As you can see in the promo below, the stories are set to feature, among others, veteran cast members including Marlena, Julie, and Maggie; newcomers Tate, Sophia, and Ari; and returning favorites Sami, Anna, and, just maybe, Stefano! This summer, there is something for everyone!

Days of our Lives: Baby, maybe?

DAYS is set to tell another missing baby storyline as evidenced by an anxious Sophia (Rachel Boyd) tearfully telling a bundle of joy in her arms, "I can't let anybody see you!" Later, we see Tate (Leo Howard) asking about his newborn child. Sophia's reply that the adoptive parents were there with her, she let them take her home right away, just doesn't sound like the truth. Especially as we see a hooded Sophia slip out of her room with a baby in her arms.

Later, we see Javi (Al Calderon) holding a newborn, explaining to Kayla (Mary Beth Evans) at the hospital that "he" had been left in the safe-haven box at the fire station. That's a coincidence! Is Sophia's baby a "her" or a "him"?

The truth in ashes

Recently, we learned that Johnny (Carson Boatman) did not attempt to kill his dad but that's not stopping him from going to trial. His odds of getting found innocent are going up because the victim in question, EJ (Dan Feuerriegel), is serving as Johnny's attorney! "Miss Black has a major conflict of interest," EJ dramatically declares of his girlfriend/opposing counsel Belle (Martha Madison) during the trial.

Does being on opposite sides of this case mean it's over for EJ and Belle's romance? Maybe not. Watch for Leo to share with Ravi that he was broached with blackmail while Rachel (Alice Halsey) fears her testimony will send Johnny to jail.

Could the answer to whether or not Johnny goes to jail be discovered outside the courtroom? Belle will not only question Rachel on the witness stand, but she'll also ask her mother, Marlena (Deidre Hall), in private if she knows who shot EJ!

Empires combust

Business stories without personal ties can be as boring as watching paint dry. That's not the case with Victor Kiriakis's heirs -- Brady (Eric Martsolf), Xander (Paul Telfer), Philip (John-Paul Lavoisier), and Alex (Robert Scott Wilson) -- as they struggle for power. "I've spent most of my adult life vying for this top spot," Brady declares. Watch for Alex to question Xander about whether or not there's something they need to worry about. Watch for Maggie (Suzanne Rogers), Victor's widow, to fiercely protect her late husband's legacy.

The DiMeras are getting in on the action, too. Gabi (Cherie Jimenez) will ask Tony (Thaao Penglis) if the DiMera family will fight fire with fire. Correcting her, Tony announces that they'll fight fire with arson!

EJ's not spending all his time in the courtroom. He may enlist Gwen (Emily O'Brien) in his plan to gain some vital information from Steve (Stephen Nichols).

Legacies rise

Maggie may be looking out for Victor's legacy, but Julie (Susan Seaforth Hayes) will remind her aunt (courtesy of Maggie's longtime marriage to the late Mickey), "Once a Horton, always a Horton." There's an overdue reunion when Sami comes home and has emotional moments with Marlena, EJ, and Eric. "Where does the time go?" Sami rhetorically but emotionally asks her twin.

Jennifer (Melissa Reeves) will honor her late grandfather Tom (Macdonald Carey) by announcing at a gala, "With the opening of the Dr. Tom Horton Free Clinic, my grandfather's legacy will continue to serve the community."

Passions run hot in Salem

Whatever secrets Sophia may or may not be keeping about her and Tate's baby may come back to haunt her. Watch for her to declare, "Nothing is turning out the way I thought it would!"

"Xarah" fans who are hoping that Xander and Sarah (Linsey Godfrey) will be getting back together soon may have a long wait. Watch for Sarah to tell her estranged husband, "You can spend your time doing whatever the hell you want...so can I!" It will not sit well with Xander to see Sarah passionately kiss Brady.

Not every couple on DAYS is in conflict. Some are tighter than ever, including Johnny and Chanel (Raven Bowens), and Alex and Stephanie (Abigail Klein).

Everything burns

Watch for a physical fight between Doug Williams III (Peyton Meyer) and Tate. Could it be fatal? Meanwhile, Marlena is facing drama on numerous fronts. Her great-granddaughter Ari (Marissa Reyes) is kidnapped. The good doctor will faint in the courtroom, prompting concern from Belle.

Also, Marlena will have a dream that she is once again "The Queen of the Night." Veteran DAYS fans recall that that's the handle that the late ("late?") Stefano (Joe Mascolo) bestowed upon her years ago. "There's a reason Stefano is known as the Phoenix," Rafe (Galen Gering) cautions Cat (AnnaLynne McCord).

However, Stefano may not truly be dead! We'll see Anna (Leann Hunley) tell her beloved Tony that someone is claiming his father is alive! Anna thinks the idea is ludicrous. A sly Tony, as usual, plays what he knows close to his vest. "It's almost time, father," Tony cryptically says later.