'The Walking Dead's Scott Gimple On Lauren Cohan's Season 9 Status

The drama surrounding Lauren Cohan's fate with The Walking Dead continues, this time with Chief Content Officer Scott Gimple weighing in on the status of the Maggie actress' contract.

The Hollywood Reporter asked Gimple if Season Eight will provide fans with a satisfying conclusion to Maggie's story in preparation for Cohan's exit from the show. Gimple, who is the showrunner on The Walking Dead Season Eight but shifts roles heading into Season Nine, isn't willing to go that far. "I wouldn't want to say that because we're talking and figuring it out," Gimple told THR.

In the age of social media and digital media, news such as a cast member holding out on a contract becomes household topics more commonly than ever before. "These things do happen," Gimple said. "We've had people do other shows and other gigantic movies that take America by storm. We're figuring it out with each other and trying to let people be able to do other things and stick around. I shan't even entertain the thought."

For example, The Walking Dead's Michonne actress Danai Gurira recently became a fan-favorite aspect of Marvel's Black Panther and will be taking on Avengers: Infinity War in April. Clearly, Michonne is still alive and well on the AMC show.

Cohan recently took a key role in the ABC pilot Whiskey Cavalier, which would likely interfere with her schedule on The Walking Dead, given the extended period of time required to produce television series as opposed to appearing films. Though Cohan was not featured in The Walking Dead's Mid-Season Eight premiere and will again be sidelined for Episode 8x10 this Sunday, the actress plays a key role in the episodes which follow and inevitably conclude the season.

In the wake of Carl's death, it's hardly worth noting that Maggie is alive, well, and crucial in The Walking Dead comics. Whether or not the AMC show plans to follow Robert Kirkman's source material is less clear than ever before as Carl, Andrea, and others are no longer around while characters like Carol and Morgan have far outlived their comic book counterparts.

The Walking Dead returns for the second half of its eighth season on February 25, 2018. Fear the Walking Dead will debut its fourth season after The Walking Dead concludes its eighth, at 10 pm ET on April 15. For complete coverage and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.