The Walking Dead saw some serious shake-ups to its cast in season 9, with two major leading stars bowing out of the show. Andrew Lincoln and Lauren Cohan both left the regular line-up, though the former is set to star in a movie trilogy as Rick Grimes while the latter is open to a return as Maggie Rhee. Still, the series itself lost two of its protagonists and it’ll lose another in season 10, as Danai Gurira is moving on as Michonne, too.
Speaking to Deadline, showrunner Angela Kang revealed that production on season 10 will have to get creative to accommodate Gurira’s other commitments – just a little side-job of appearing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Wakandan warrior Okoye. So yes, this means the actress will have a “reduced” role in the next run of the AMC show. However, Kang promises that the season will still find room for a “meaty story” for Michonne, telling Deadline the following in a recent interview:
“So we’ve kind of known that she would have a reduced role this coming season. We’re excited to tell a nice, meaty story with her for Season Ten regardless, I can tell you. I’m also so thrilled with all the great attention she’s gotten for the work she’s done on the show this year. Danai is not only an amazing athlete and warrior on the show, but she’s such an incredible dramatic actress too in my opinion.”
As proof, Kang revealed that there will be another Michonne-centric episode in the upcoming season which will be comparable to this year’s “Scars,” a traumatic hour that really showed how good Gurira is in the role.
“It’s basically another one of these giant Michonne episodes, which I’m really excited about,” Kang said. “Yeah, she will be a significant part of Season Ten.”
Before The Walking Dead season 10 drops at some point in the fall, you can catch Danai Gurira in Avengers: Endgame, hitting theaters later this month, on April 26th.