Actor Jake Wood has said that he is excited to see what the future holds for his character Max.
Jo Joyner, who plays Max's on-off wife Tanya, has recently announced her departure from the soap. Scott Maslen, who plays Max's brother Jack, is also leaving.
However, Wood has said that he is interested to see what is in store for Max and Kirsty once Tanya and Jack have left.
Speaking to Inside Soap, he said: "On a personal level, I'm really going to miss both Jo and Scott. But in terms of characters, I think it'll be very interesting to discover how Max will cope without those strong relationships around him.
"We'll have to wait and see exactly what the future holds for him and Kirsty, but I'm very excited about the next year ahead."
Wood also revealed that despite Joyner's upcoming departure, there is still more to come with Max and Tanya.
"Jo is here until May, so there's still plenty to come for Tanya and Max. The characters work as well apart as they do together, and the EastEnders audience has got a real treat in store with what's coming up."
Speaking of next week's episodes, in which Max tries to force Kirsty into having an abortion, Wood said: "It dawns on Max that there's just no going back.
"Tanya realises Max is forcing Kirsty to have a termination because he's hoping he's still got a chance with her. But Tanya explains that it's not going to happen, and he's devastated.
"Max has had his foot in two camps for too long. It's sad, and I think Max has tried to make Tanya realise that it's not all his fault. She sent him away all those months ago because she had cancer, and she told him that their marriage was over. So Max went away and fell in love with Kirsty, and they built a very real, genuine connection."