Salem is once again on the brink of the impossible. On Days of Our Lives, the line between life and death has never been permanent, but the latest storyline unfolding around EJ DiMera

and the notorious Dr. Wilhelm Rolf may be one of the most emotionally explosive twists the soap has delivered in years. At the center of the storm is a mysterious

woman preserved in a cryogenic chamber — a scientific secret that could shatter families, reignite old loves, and completely upend Salem’s power structure.

As EJ and Rolf prepare to bring their human experiment to life, one question dominates fan speculation: who is the woman frozen in the tube? And more importantly, what will her return mean for those left behind?

A Resurrection Years in the Making

Dr. Rolf’s reputation precedes him. Salem’s resident mad scientist has defied death more times than most residents can count, and his partnership with EJ DiMera signals that something deeply personal is at stake. This is not a random experiment or a casual act of scientific arrogance. EJ has been speaking to the woman in the chamber with tenderness and familiarity — a clear sign that whoever lies frozen inside is someone he loved, or still loves, deeply.

That detail alone narrows the field considerably. This is not a long-lost DiMera ancestor or a distant relative resurrected for shock value. This woman matters to EJ in the present tense.

Eliminating the Unlikely Candidates

Longtime viewers will recall that Stefano DiMera had several wives and daughters over the years, many of whom met tragic ends. Renee DuMonde, Stefano’s daughter who was murdered in the 1980s, is one such name often raised. However, the timeline simply doesn’t fit. Renee died decades before EJ was even born, and while her memory looms large in DiMera history, EJ never knew her personally. The same logic applies to Daphne DiMera, Stefano’s common-law wife, who died in a plane crash long before EJ entered the picture.

EJ’s emotional connection to the woman in the chamber rules these figures out. Whoever this is, she is someone EJ knew intimately — someone whose loss left a mark.

That leaves two names that instantly send shockwaves through Salem: Abigail DiMera and Lexi Carver.

The Case for Abigail DiMera

Abigail’s brutal murder in 2022 devastated Salem, but no one was more shattered than Chad DiMera. Since her death, Chad has lived as a widower, raising their children Thomas and Charlotte while carrying grief that has defined every aspect of his life. Despite attempts to move forward, Abigail has remained his great, unfinished love.

Recent clues have only fueled the theory that Abby may not be truly gone. Clyde Weston, before being shot and left comatose, strongly hinted that Abigail was alive. Even more damning, when Chad and Jack exhumed Abigail’s grave, her remains were missing. That revelation quietly reopened a door fans thought had been sealed forever.

If EJ knows Abigail is alive — or recoverable — it would explain his emotional investment in the resurrection project. While EJ’s romantic history with Abigail was complicated and controversial, his guilt over betraying Chad has lingered for years. Bringing Abigail back could be EJ’s ultimate act of redemption, a chance to undo one of the darkest chapters of his past and reunite a broken family.

Timing also supports this theory. Upcoming recasts for Chad and Thomas suggest a narrative reset, and resurrecting Abigail around the same period would create the perfect dramatic relaunch. Abby could return slowly — perhaps awakening from a coma — allowing the show to reintroduce her character alongside the new faces.

Even Gwen DiMera’s involvement adds weight to this possibility. Gwen, Abigail’s half-sister, has long lived in Abby’s shadow. Helping bring her back could be Gwen’s own path toward redemption after years of rivalry, resentment, and destructive choices.

The Case for Lexi Carver

Yet as compelling as the Abigail theory is, many signs point just as strongly — if not more so — to Lexi Carver.

Lexi was EJ’s beloved sister, and her death in 2012 remains one of Salem’s most heartbreaking moments. She died of a brain tumor caused by toxic exposure — a tragedy indirectly tied to DiMera crimes. EJ has carried guilt over Lexi’s death for years, especially knowing that André played a role in her fate.

Unlike Abigail, Lexi’s return wouldn’t just impact one family — it would send shockwaves across Salem’s political and emotional landscape. Lexi was Abe Carver’s soulmate, the love of his life, and the mother of Theo. Her resurrection would immediately destabilize Abe’s current marriage to Paulina Price and reopen emotional wounds thought long healed.

Crucially, EJ appears poised to reveal the secret project to Paulina — a move that makes far more sense if Lexi is the woman in the tube. Showing Paulina her husband’s supposedly dead soulmate would be the ultimate psychological strike, and EJ is nothing if not strategic.

Lexi’s return would also dramatically affect Theo, who currently holds a powerful corporate role. Lexi would never support her son being entrenched in DiMera power games, potentially pushing Theo to walk away — and leaving a coveted position open for Johnny DiMera. That outcome would align perfectly with EJ’s long-standing desire to draw his son closer into the DiMera empire.

Love, Guilt, and Power Collide

Whether the woman in the chamber is Abigail or Lexi, one thing is clear: this resurrection is driven by more than science. It is fueled by guilt, love, ambition, and unfinished business. EJ may frame the project as an act of mercy or redemption, but his motives are layered — and not entirely pure.

Dr. Rolf, meanwhile, remains the wild card. His loyalty has always been flexible, his ethics nonexistent. Whatever emerges from that cryogenic tube may not return exactly as she was. In Salem, resurrection often comes with a cost — altered memories, hidden agendas, or psychological scars that change everything.

A Shock That Will Redefine Salem

As EJ and Dr. Rolf move closer to bringing the mystery woman back to life, Salem stands on the edge of a seismic shift. Chad’s world could be rebuilt or shattered all over again. Abe could be forced to confront a past love resurrected from the dead. Paulina may find herself blindsided by a ghost she never expected to face. And EJ DiMera may finally prove whether this act is about redemption — or control.