The teenager’s dad was horrified by a discovery made on his son’s laptopJoel got in trouble for insulting Kat Slater(Image: BBC)

EastEnders fans are predicting what’s next for the ‘new Nasty Nick’ Joel Marshall after another dark twist involving the teenager aired.

Played by Max Murray, Joel joined the BBC soap in March alongside his dad Ross Marshall and Vicki Fowler, who is in a long-term relationship with Ross.

Initially appearing to be a humorous teenager, Joel’s dark tendencies and worrying beliefs have slowly come up to the surface.

To date Joel has filmed himself sleeping with Avani Nandra-Hart without her knowledge, showed Tommy Moon explicit pornography and assaulted a young woman on the tube.

Additionally, it emerged that Joel had previously taken an inappropriate photo of a girl while they were in Australia, leading to Ross having to pay off her family prior to their move to Albert Square.

On Monday (August 4), Joel’s dad Ross was concerned when he overheard some of the language from other workers on the timber yard site he brought Joel and Tommy Moon to.

With Ross receiving an unexpected call from Joel’s mum in scenes aired on Tuesday (August 15), it was revealed her name is Cleo and she’s getting remarried.

Initially insisting he’s fine, Joel later headed to The Vic to hang out with Tommy, but it wasn’t long before he led him astray and the pair stole drinks from the barrel store. Receiving a telling off from Ross, Vicki, Kat and Alfie, Joel stunned the parents by hurling derogatory remarks towards Kat.

Tommy Moon and Joel Marshall in EastEnders (Image: BBC)

Things went from bad to worse in scenes aired on Wednesday night (August 6) as Ross and Vicki desperately tried to get Joel see the error of his ways.

Joel made further comments about Kat’s appearance and history with men, claiming his dad thinks the same about her. Trying to relate to Joel, Ross slipped up when he said he agrees with some of the things Joel’s favourite influencer preaches.

Following his attempts to bond with Joel, Ross went on to find footage of his son assaulting the women on the tube and a series of graphic pictures, including up-skirting and some of changing rooms.

Bringing this up to Joel, Ross was stunned when Joel claimed he’s done things that are ‘way more hardcore’, leading the worried dad to dump the laptop in the sink and destroy it.

Those on the EastEnders Reddit page decided to try work out where Joel’s storyline is going, with many already adamant Zoe Slater is still his mum.

@AhhBisto said: “He could be the next Nasty Nick, just an ongoing villainous presence that comes back to the Square every so often to haunt people.” @Kasia-Loves added: “I think they’re going to delve into why he is the way he is. I don’t think he’s beyond redemption.”

@No-Hedgehog-3877 wrote: “His age makes me sort of want a redemption of some kind. Not to make us love him or for his victims to forgive him, but to show there is a way out for teens who are messed up.” @Top_Barnacle9669 stated: “No redemption arch ease. He needs to see the consequences of his actions and if that’s young offenders then so be it.”

@tyyls18 commented: “It would be a waste to get rid of him, but it’s clear that he has a shelf life, but then I think harder and I truly think they are planning to settle down here. I think if they dive into his reasons for being, such as his poor relationship with his own mum, his dismissive dad, the content he consumes with the fact that he is good looking and social enough to not run the risk of falling into that incel category, I feel they could pull the character back.”