AMC has a long history of killing off major The Walking Dead characters. In fact, there are not a lot of central cast members left from the early seasons. That’s probably to be expected in a zombie apocalypse where death lies around every corner. But following the exit of Carl, some fans are wondering whether The Walking Dead is getting rid of too many popular characters.
Now, according to Deadline, Lauren Cohan, who has played Maggie Greene since season two, may be the next to leave the show as contract negotiations between the actress and AMC have stalled. Things came to a tipping-point when Cohan demanded pay equity on par with what male co-stars Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes) and Norman Reedus (Daryl Dixon) make.
I hear the network did not follow up with a new proposition and there have been no further talks. Cohan, who is contractually free and clear to entertain new offers, has been doing that, with her availability igniting a feeding frenzy in the form of a string of offers from multiple networks. She reportedly has been engaging, taking pilot meetings. According to other sources close to the situation, there are active talks with Cohan who has not indicated that she would not be coming back for Season 9, which already has been greenlighted.
Cohan is reportedly being praised as one of the hottest actors in the market for TV pilots, something that is not going to make the return for a Walking Dead favorite cheap. Considering negotiations are ongoing and season 8 has wrapped production in Georgia, it seems unlikely that Cohan’s character Maggie will be killed off anytime soon. But depending on how the show deals with Negan’s future, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Maggie leave than live in a world that denies her vengeance for her baby daddy Glenn’s death.
Norman Reedus recently commented on the number of major characters leaving the show, telling EW, “The people that started this show, to me, are the heart of the show.”
“When you lose those key members, it’s such a big blow to the show, and to the fans, and to us that are there,” he continued. “Who’s left? There’s only a few of us left out of all those people. If you wanted to turn it into a totally different show, you get rid of those people. But if you want to hold onto what made the show special, you’ve got to be very careful what you do with those people.”
That said, The Walking Dead has made unknown actors into A-list stars, which will make it tougher to keep these actors for a long time without spending a lot of money.
Related:
- ‘The Walking Dead’: AMC Hit With Lawsuit Over Set Accident
- The Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus is “Desperately Unhappy” About Carl’s Death
- Georgia-Filmed ‘The Walking Dead’ Renewed for Another Season
What do you think? Discuss this story with fellow Project Casting fans on Facebook. On Twitter, follow us at @projectcasting.
