Hot on the heels of being found not guilty of shooting his father, EJ, Days of Our Lives‘ Johnny has been offered a position as an adjunct professor at Salem University. The show’s head writers, Paula Cwikly and Jeanne Marie Ford, teased what would be coming up this fall in Salem, and one of the items was that an adult also embarks on a new career as an adjunct professor. While Johnny wanted time to think about it, Chanel encouraged him to take the position.
Film Fanatic
Johnny DiMera (Carson Boatman) has always had a storyteller’s eye, and DAYS has repeatedly tied his biggest plot twists to moviemaking. When Carson Boatman stepped into the role, Johnny returned to Salem with a dream project: a feature chronicling Marlena Evans’s (Deidre Hall) infamous possession. He chased funding, reworked a screenplay, and even clashed with family over the subject matter—most notably John Black (Drake Hogestyn), who balked at reopening those spiritual scars.
Marlena ultimately gave Johnny the green light, despite John’s misgivings, keeping the “Possession” film on track and cementing Johnny’s creative ambitions on canvas. That passion project became a springboard for even darker drama: the Devil targeted Johnny himself. The era fans dubbed “JoDevil” turned his artistic curiosity into personal horror, but it also underscored how central filmmaking is to Johnny’s identity—his camera is often the catalyst.
Another of Johnny’s projects was the creation of Body & Soul, a soap-within-a-soap. This ambitious project—crafted under the guidance of Abe Carver (James Reynolds) and Kate Roberts (Lauren Koslow)—turned everyday Salem turbulence into prime-time fiction, complete with auditions, rewrites, and behind-the-scenes tension.
From the first photo shoots to fiery diva clashes, Body & Soul delivered drama in front of and behind the camera. Celebrated stars Hattie (Deidre Hall) and Bonnie (Judi Evans) duked it out over screen time, all while Chanel (Raven Bowens) and Alex (Robert Scott Wilson) —playing doomed lovers Faith & Arrow—cranked up the tension on set. Johnny’s jealousy simmered as he watched the chemistry explode, revealing cracks in both the script and his relationship.
Chaos hit when cast and crew—including Johnny, Alex, and even Abe and Roman—fell ill from tainted cupcakes. The poisoned pastries weren’t just a health hazard—they threatened the entire production. As the sickout spiraled, Body & Soul careened toward cancellation. Eventually, the fictional show’s run ended, with the storyline wrapped by February 2025, freeing Salem’s characters to return to real-world drama.
