▁was ▁expected ▁to ▁make ▁his ▁debut ▁on ▁October ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁and ▁the ▁actor ▁had ▁already ▁reported ▁for ▁his ▁first ▁day ▁of ▁work ▁when ▁he ▁learned ▁of ▁plans ▁to ▁post p one ▁the ▁role ▁due ▁to ▁several ▁cre ative ▁changes ▁behind ▁the ▁scenes , ▁including ▁the ▁departure ▁of ▁Sarah ▁Joy ▁Brown ▁as ▁Claud ia ▁Z ac ch ara , ▁Jonathan ▁Jackson ▁returning ▁to ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁L ucky ▁Sp encer ▁replacing ▁Greg ▁V aug han ▁and ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁James ▁Franco . ▁Head ▁writer ▁Robert ▁Gu za , ▁Jr . ▁explained ▁that ▁" s we eps ▁and ▁the ▁immediate ▁after math ▁are ▁so ▁full ▁that ▁fran k ly , ▁I ▁didn ' t ▁have ▁room ▁for ▁it ." ▁In ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁So ap ▁Opera ▁Dig est ▁reported ▁that ▁the ▁produ cers ▁wanted ▁Val entin ▁" be ef ed ▁up " ▁and ▁made ▁plans ▁to ▁pen ▁a ▁" power ful ▁story " ▁for ▁his ▁arrival . ▁By ▁late ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁Bor l eng hi ▁had ▁still ▁not ▁appeared ▁and ▁a ▁sp ok esp erson ▁for ▁the ▁series ▁claimed ▁that ▁plans ▁for ▁Val entin ▁were ▁still ▁on ▁hold , ▁but ▁would ▁eventually ▁come ▁to ▁f ru ition . ▁In ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁Const ance ▁Tow ers ▁commented ▁on ▁the ▁character ' s ▁delayed ▁introduction : ▁" We ▁have ▁been ▁ser en ading ▁his ▁entrance ▁for ▁quite ▁a while , ▁[ s ic ] ▁but