It’s sounding like season 9 of The Walking Dead might be the last time we get to enjoy the particular walker-whacking talents of Danai Gurira’s Michonne. First introduced in season 3, the character became a firm fan-favorite and eventually went on to be Rick’s right-hand man and current leader of the survivors.
She’s one of the more badass protagonists on the show, too, having learned to wield a katana through which she polished her killing skills to impressive levels. So, after surviving so long, why might Michonne be leaving? Well, it’s the old chestnut that Gurira’s simply getting too big for The Walking Dead.
THR’s reporting that while other major actors like Norman Reedus have inked on the dotted line, Gurira’s future’s still being negotiated. This back and forth process has been more complicated than with some of the other cast members as Gurira’s something of a hot property in Hollywood at the moment. Her role as Okoye in Black Panther turned a lot of heads and suddenly, she’s very much in demand. Then again, AMC appear willing to put up some serious money to get their stars to remain on board, with Reedus going from $8,500 per episode in season 2 to an impressive $350,000 per episode in season 10, so maybe they’ll pay up for the actress, too.
But even though the money might be there, Gurira must know that actors are only hot for so long in Hollywood and if she passes up big roles in major blockbusters, then there’s a chance they may never come around again. Not to mention that right now, her star’s set to rise even higher, as she was one of the few major Wakandan characters not to get dusted in Infinity War, which should mean that she’ll have a more prominent role in what’s sure to be one of 2019’s biggest movies: Avengers: Endgame.
With that in mind, my bet’s that season 9 of The Walking Dead will be the last we’ll see of Michonne. Let’s just hope they give her the badass sendoff she deserves, eh?