Max Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, portrayed by Jake Wood and first appeared on 27 June 2006. Wood departed the role in 2021 following 15 years, with his final scenes airing on 19 February. In July 2025, it was announced that Wood would reprise the role, with Max returning on 3 September. On 1 January 2026, Max was the focus of a flashforward episode to one year in the future, New Years Day 2027, with the events of 2026 set to focus on the Brannings' and Max's journey towards 2027.
Many of Max's storylines focus on his numerous relationships, including his marriages to Tanya (Jo Joyner) and Kirsty Branning (Kierston Wareing) alongside both Tanya's sister Rainie Cross (Tanya Franks) and fellow spouse Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) respectively, and several romances that often end up becoming extramarital affairs; most notably with his daughter-in-law Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) and later with their close acquaintance Linda Carter (Kellie Bright).
In 2008, Max was the subject of a whodunit storyline after being run over, with the culprit revealed to be his daughter Lauren. He later struggled with the death of his son Bradley Branning (Charlie Clements), established feuds with many people such as Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) and Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt), became embroiled in many family problems, and was wrongfully convicted for the murder of Lauren's best-friend Lucy Beale (Hetti Bywater) murder in 2015; the true killer was later revealed to be Lucy's younger half-brother Bobby. Following his release from prison, Max orchestrated a revenge plot against those he blamed for his imprisonment alongside notorious villain James Wilmott-Brown (William Boyde) that culminated in the death of Ian's stepson Steven (Aaron Sidwell) and a rooftop confrontation at the Queen Victoria public house in which both his daughters fell and Lauren survived whereas her sister Abi (Lorna Fitzgerald) died.
In 2025, Max returned in flashback scenes involving Stacey's estranged cousin Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan) before making his full return to Walford. His storylines since his return include discovering he had a daughter with Linda, trying to bond with his younger son Oscar (Pierre Counihan-Moullier), being accused of sleeping with Oscar's girlfriend Jasmine Fisher (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness), clashing with Phil's brother Grant (Ross Kemp) and later with the latter's son Mark (Stephen Aaron-Sipple), and being engaged to Cindy before their wedding ended with Cindy discovering that Max cheated on her with their wedding planner Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan Levy).
Creation and development Casting Jake Wood was cast in the role of Max in January 2006. At the time, little was known of the character, who was to move in with Jim (John Bardon) and Dot Branning (June Brown). Wood commented: "I'm a great admirer of both John Bardon and June Brown and I'm looking forward to joining the Branning family." In March 2008, Max was temporarily written out of the show when Wood went on paternity leave. Wood said of this "It comes at a good time because Max is getting grief over his affair so he will disappear for a while." He returned three months later, in June. In May 2009, Wood signed a new two-year contract with the show after which he took a temporary four-month break from the show in August 2011, which Wood said was down to the fact that after five years of playing Max, he was tired and "needed a break". Wood returned to filming after signing another two-year contract, and Max returned with his older brother Derek Branning (Jamie Foreman) in November.
Characterisation Wood has described Max as "damaged", with a troubled upbringing, and uses this backstory to justify Max's actions in the series, saying that Max is motivated to be a better father to his children than his own father was to him, and that Max has done nothing that would be out of character.
Storyline development In May 2009, Wood said he hoped his character would get back with his wife, Tanya (Jo Joyner), saying: "He believes Tanya still loves him. I think she does too." Later in 2009, Max gets into debt and tries to con various Walford residents. On conning single mother Heather Trott (Cheryl Fergison), Wood said "Max has got a conscience but he's thinking about his own survival. He wants to keep his family at all costs." On hiding Max's debt problems from Tanya, Wood commented: "Max thinks he can wriggle out of situations and admitting to debt would be a blow to his manhood. But Tanya would have understood and he'd have kept his family. [...] The problem between Max and Tanya has always been honesty. If Tanya finds out she may never trust Max again." When Tanya discovers Max's lies, she leaves him. This storyline facilitated Joyner's temporary departure on maternity leave. The show's executive producer Diederick Santer commented: "Yet again, Max has messed up, hasn't he? He's learned to keep it in his trousers, but financially, he's corrupt. He's taken his eye off the ball business-wise and like a lot of people in the last year or two, he's found it tough going. His inability to show weakness or to share his problems with Tanya has been his downfall. He has to rebuild his life now and his long-term objective is to get Tanya back. Jo Joyner is of course returning to the Square but whether Max gets Tanya back is another thing. I don't know if he's good enough for her." Santer also revealed that some planned storyline material for Max and Tanya was put on hold until Tanya's return from maternity leave.
In March 2010, a new love interest for Max was announced, Vanessa Gold, played by Zöe Lucker. A spokesperson for the show said that "[Max and Vanessa] are both volatile and explosive characters and their meeting will be like putting a lit match next to a barrel [of] gunpowder." Wood said that Max is weak when it comes to women, although his desire is to have his wife and children back, adding that "He always makes mistakes, he's easily led and the grass is always greener. He's his own worst enemy."
In March 2011, it was revealed that Max and Abi would suffer severe injuries after their car crashes into a lorry on the way to Tanya's wedding to Greg Jessop (Stefan Booth), prompting Tanya to flee the wedding to help him. The crash scenes were filmed on 6 March 2011.
Sabbatical On 28 May 2015, it was announced that Wood had decided to take a year-long hiatus from EastEnders. Of this decision, Wood said, "I have been at EastEnders for nine years and I feel the time is right to give Max a break—but it won't be for too long as I shall be back next year to see Max face another chapter of drama." Executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins added: "When I returned to EastEnders, both Jake and I agreed that Max has been through so much over the past nine years that we would give him and Jake a break when the opportunity arose. That opportunity has come and it is the perfect time to send Max Branning out with a bang that will send ripples through the Square for the rest of the year until Jake returns."
Max left on 1 October 2015 after being wrongly convicted for Lucy Beale's (Hetti Bywater) murder (see "Who Killed Lucy Beale?"). He made a cameo appearance on 9 June 2016, making a quick return to the square to return Lauren and Abi's letter of apology then leaving again, indicating that he has not forgiven them for letting him go to jail when they knew he was innocent. Max's full return aired on 24 December 2016.
Departure (2021) In September 2020, it was announced that Wood would be departing from the cast of EastEnders after fifteen years in the role, with Max being written out as part of an "explosive exit". His final scenes were broadcast on 19 February 2021.
Reintroduction (2025) In July 2025, it was announced that Wood had reprised the role. Max will return for a short stint in the autumn before returning full-time later in the year. His return follows that of his daughter Lauren (Jacqueline Jossa) in January 2024 and his son Oscar (Pierre Counihan-Moullier) in July 2025.
Storylines
2006–2021 Max Branning arrives in Walford in June 2006. He has come to visit his father Jim (John Bardon) after being estranged for 17 years, but this turns into a confrontation that ends with Jim throwing him out. Max then reunites with his son Bradley (Charlie Clements), and decides to stay to rebuild their relationship.
Eventually Max's wife Tanya (Jo Joyner) soon arrives to collect him. A month later the couple, along with their two daughters Lauren (Madeline Duggan) and Abi (Lorna Fitzgerald), move to Albert Square themselves. At first Tanya wanted to leave Max due to his extramarital affairs, with the latest being with a woman named Gemma Clewes (Natalie J. Robb), but she reluctantly decided to give their marriage one last try. As an apology and to show his commitment, Max buys 10 Turpin Road for Tanya to open as a beauty parlour.
As his family settle in the square, Max begind spending time with Bradley to repair their father-son relationship. He soon meets Bradley's girlfriend, Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), and thinks he is too good for her. When Stacey later gets pregnant with his son's baby, Max gives Bradley money for an abortion and telling him a baby will ruin his life. However, the abortion ends the relationship Stacey decides to hurt Bradley by making a move on Max during Christmas 2006; Max and Stacey kiss and the two soon embark on a passionate affair that lasts for several months going into 2007. Max's affair with Stacey is briefly halted when Tanya tells Max she is pregnant and he tries to save his marriage, despite promising Stacey that he will leave Tanya. But when Stacey learns of Tanya's pregnancy, Max takes his family to Spain and a few weeks later, tells Bradley they are moving there permanently. Max returns with his family to find that Stacey and Bradley have reconciled and are now engaged. On the night of Bradley and Stacey's wedding, Max kisses Stacey and although she rejects him, Lauren's camcorder captures the kiss on video. Soon after, Tanya and Max's son, Oscar, is born. Max and Stacey's affair is revealed at Christmas after Lauren makes a copy of the recording and gives it to Bradley. Both couples separate and Bradley disowns his father while Tanya files for divorce, but Max interferes in Tanya's romance with Stacey's brother Sean Slater (Rob Kazinsky) and threatens to discredit her as an unfit mother. With Sean's help, Tanya drugs Max and puts him in a coffin before burying him alive in the woods, knowing that a similar thing happened to him when he was 13 years old. An attack of conscience prompts Tanya to dig Max up and he decides to leave Walford as he can see how much devastation he had caused.