Days of Our Lives recasts gay fan-favourite Javi with out actor Jacob Martinez
Jacob Martinez (Image: Instagram/mclovinmartinez)
Days of Our Lives has recast gay character Javi Hernandez, with out actor Jacob Martinez set to take over the role.
Peacock has shared a first-look Instagram video teasing Martinez in Salem ahead of his debut on 30 June, after Deadline announced the news.
Martinez, 28, replaces Al Calderon, 32, who announced his exit from the soap in August 2025. The show films around 10 months in advance, meaning Calderon is still appearing as Javi and his final episodes are expected to air sometime in May.
Calderon also welcomed the new Javi in the comments, writing: “LET’S GO BOYYYYY.”
A break is expected before Martinez’s episodes begin. It’s reported that Javi will temporarily move away amid his marriage to Leo Stark, played by out Daytime Emmy-winning actor Greg Rikaart, according to Soap Opera Network.
Reacting to the casting news, Martinez wrote in a thank-you post: “THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART to each and every person who continues to pour into me and encourage me to chase my dreams,” adding: “I cannot even begin to express how grateful I am. I already feel beyond blessed, supported, and loved. See you all in Salem.”
What we know about the on-screen handover
With Calderon’s final episodes expected in May and Martinez arriving on 30 June, viewers are likely to see a short gap between the two actors’ runs as Javi.
The first-look clip offers an early glimpse of Martinez in the role as the show prepares to bring the character back into Salem.
Who is Jacob Martinez?
Martinez is a US actor and musical theatre performer. He graduated from The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in 2018 and recently starred in In Pieces: The Musical at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater in Manhattan.
He previously reflected on reconciling being queer with his Christian faith in a January 2020 Instagram post. In another caption about attending Pride, he wrote: “Fear, pain, self hate, confusion. All these emotions I’m far too familiar with,” adding: “This was my first pride since officially coming out, and who would have thought that in doing so, I would draw closer to the God who FREES me from those unwanted thoughts and feelings.”
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