<P> A succession of child actors portrayed Will, with Christopher Gerse taking on the role from 2003 to 2008, with the character and actor "growing up on screen". After a year hiatus, Will was reintroduced in 2009 with Dylan Patton as a sixteen - year - old, and then Massey (2010 to 2014) took the character into adulthood . Massey's portrayal is noted for Will struggling with the discovery of his sexuality, and then coming out as gay, and beginning a same - sex relationship with Sonny Kiriakis (Freddie Smith). Massey's performance and the coming out storyline received high praise . Glamour Magazine said it "has never been done better--not on primetime, daytime, or in feature films", and "it's raw, it's touching, and most importantly it's honest"; and soap journalist Michael Fairman called Massey's performance "beyond sensational". Will and Sonny became the show's first same - sex supercouple (commonly referred to by the portmanteau "WilSon"), and in 2014 Guy Wilson took over the role of Will as Days broadcast the first male gay wedding in US daytime drama history . </P> <P> Patton and Massey were both nominated for Daytime Emmy Awards for their portrayal of Will, and Massey went on to win the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series in 2012--the first time the award had been won for a gay character . Massey won again in 2013 and 2014, becoming the first actor ever to win three consecutive awards in the Younger Actor category . </P> <P> Will was written out of the show a month before its 50th anniversary, with the character being graphically murdered in the episode of October 9, 2015 . This generated "major" fan backlash, and criticism in the soap press, as well as accusations that Days of Our Lives was pandering to anti-gay sentiment in its audience base . Sweeney, who had left the show, but returned to shoot the funeral, said "it was a huge mistake to kill Will, especially for the show's 50th anniversary". After Days changed headwriters, on May 8, 2017, Entertainment Weekly reported that Massey was returning to Days of Our Lives to play Will . The same day, new headwriter Ron Carlivati indicated Will may not have died after all . Massey's first new episode was broadcast on September 15, 2017, when a drunken grieving Lucas hallucinates seeing his son . The character is expected to return alive in an upcoming episode . </P> <P> Identical twins Shawn and Taylor Carpenter originally played Will . They were only six weeks old when they started, and they portrayed Will from babyhood until six years old (1995 to 2002). In 2002, Days decided they wanted a trained young actor playing Will, and nine - year - old Darian Weiss was cast, and the character was rapidly - aged three years . A year later (2003), Christopher Gerse took over as Will . Gerse was able to attend regular school whilst working on Days, including playing on his school's basketball team, just like his character . In 2005, Days were again planning to rapidly age Will, and were "actively seeking out a new actor to play the role"--but the plans were shelved when new storyline for the younger Will "became available", and Gerse was retained to "preserve the believability of Alison Sweeney and Bryan Dattilo as his parents". Will was not aged again, and Gerse continued until 2007 when Will was written out (by having the character go to live with his uncle and aunt in Switzerland). In addition, for one episode in January 2008, Gerse provided Will's voice for a phonecall . </P>

Did will die on days of our lives