Walking Dead Star Thinks Franchise Will Go On Forever?
Ross Marquand says he thinks The Walking Dead franchise could keep going "for years to come."
Ross Marquand‘s time as Aaron on The Walking Dead is almost over, but the actor says he thinks the franchise is going to keep going longer than many expect. In a recent discussion with SYFY about the end of the series, Marquand predicted the post-apocalyptic franchise will continue delivering stories “for years to come.”
Calling the end of his time on The Walking Dead “extremely bittersweet,” Marquand added he also felt “excited to see what comes next” in reference to the multiple spinoffs that have either already aired or are on the way. “I think as long as the writers and the producers are coming up with new life and new ideas for the show, then I think it could exist in many iterations for years to come,” Marquand said.
So far, there’s plenty of proof to support Marquand’s prediction. Fans have already had the chance to see three spinoffs: Fear the Walking Dead which will return for an eighth season in 2023, the 2 season miniseries The Walking Dead: World Beyond which concluded last year, and the anthology series Tales of the Walking Dead whose first season has already come to a close with no word yet on whether it will get a Season 2.
And those are just half the spinoffs we know about. Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan will be teaming up for our first look at this post-apocalyptic world’s version of New York City–The Walking Dead: Dead City. Then there are two as of yet untitled projects: Norman Reedus will reprise the popular role of Daryl Dixon in a series set in Europe and both Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira will get to continue their love story in their own show.
Of course, the rest of The Walking Dead‘s cast have their own ideas about possible spinoffs. Josh Hamilton, who plays Lance Hornsby, joked with SYFY he wants a “three-camera sitcom” spinoff called Lance! Ross Marquand quipped that his character Aaron would need to lose his remaining hand and have it likewise replaced with a mace so that his spinoff could be called The Two Maces. Meanwhile Seth Gilliam, who plays Father Gabriel, says if his character survives the series he wants him to come back after taking a hard blow to the head and waking up with a French accent.
Meanwhile, Yumiko actress Eleanor Matsuura, said she wants a “Walking Dead Hawaii season” with the cast just “hanging out on the beach.”
The truth is that whether or not the respective actors’ characters survive, they could still make returns to the franchise as Samantha Morton recently proved. Her character Alpha died in the main series, but made a return in an episode of Tales of the Walking Dead that was set in the past. There’s no reason similar returns couldn’t happen for just about anyone who’s appeared in the franchise and is willing to come back.
One actress fans hope to see back at one point is Melissa McBride as Carol. McBride was originally going to join Reedus on his spinoff, but reportedly wasn’t willing to travel to Europe for the shoot and bowed out. Reedus has assured fans Carol will return, which unfortunately didn’t stop a storm of toxic fan outrage.
