Lauren Cohan Might Be Leaving ‘The Walking Dead’
The Walking Dead’s most recent demise rocked fans of the comic, and another major departure may now be imminent. Star Lauren Cohan is reportedly fielding offers to leave The Walking Dead behind – is Maggie Greene officially walker chow?
Deadline reports that Cohan has not officially signed for the show’s ninth season, and has received half a dozen pilot offers to join series that would conflict with her Walking Dead role. The AMC drama reportedly offered Cohan a moderate salary increase for the ninth season, though the raise was rejected and no further talks have taken place. Another source claims that – mind the double negative – “there are active talks with Cohan who has not indicated that she would not be coming back for Season 9.”
Intriguingly, the report also claims that Cohan sought pay parity with co-stars Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus, who make significantly more than their female co-stars. That prospect was not considered a red line by Cohan’s representation, as Lincoln and Reedus generally appear in more scenes, and have been with The Walking Dead since its earliest episodes (Cohan wasn’t a regular until Season 3).
Even if Cohan did leave The Walking Dead, there’s no guarantee her character Maggie might be killed off. Her comic counterpart survives well beyond the show’s current position, though that didn’t stop – spoiler alert – last year’s midseason finale from confirming Chandler Riggs’ Carl was bitten, and thereby an imminent death. Co-star Lennie James is also leaving the series to join Fear The Walking Dead, having significantly outlasted his own character’s comic fate.
The Walking Dead has more than a few concerns beyond cast turnover, but Season 9 is nonetheless ordered for the fall under new showrunner Angela Yang. Stay tuned for the latest in the meantime.
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