Steven Yeun was (and still is) synonymous with The Walking Dead from the earliest days of the zombie drama on AMC. His departure was a big deal for both fans and the cast and crew of the show.
Videos by ComicBook.com
As a result of the love for Yeun, who grew up on the show, the actresses on the AMC series decided the standard sendoff dinner was not going to be enough for saying “goodbye” to the actor. Instead, they had something much more extravagant in mind.
Michonne actress Danai Gurira revealed the special farewell the actresses of The Walking Dead prepared for Yeun while appearing on Live with Kelly and Ryan.
“That was some fun that the girls came up with because it was so painful to imagine him not being there,” Gurira said. “He’s so the heart of our show and us as a family, TWD Family. It was so frightening to imagine not having him. We were like, ‘We cannot just send him off with a dinner! We have to do something.’ He’s such a singer dancer. He’s always up in the trailer doing a little dance thing for him, so we decided, the whole thing, it had to be Backstreet Boys. It had to be Backstreet Boys, no question.”
They didn’t just dance and sing Backstreet Boys. They went all out.
“The girls dressed up all in white, some of us had the turned around caps, some of us had little suits on,” Gurira said. “We did, ‘I Want It That Way.’”
Yeun’s Perspective
During a panel at Walker Stalker Con in Nashville, Tennessee, Yeun opened up about the departure from the series which served as his first real acting job, beginning in 2010.
“It’s hard to leave family after seven years of being together but also it feels very complete,” Yeun said. “Something needed to happen to propel this next season.”
“It’s been over a year and everybody is still so cool. They’re so sweet and they’re very sad about the death but that’s awesome. I think the coolest part about the death in and of itself is, I don’t know if there’s ever been a character like Genn before in any facet,in the way he walks and the way he talks, … to have died and to have in death such a lasting impact. I think it’s like awesome. I think if Glenn were to continue, he could at some point fade into the back but there’s this great explanation point.”
Gurira’s Michonne Next?
Headlines like “The Walking Dead Season 8: Why Michonne may be in Trouble” and “The Walking Dead Season 8: Fears for Michonne as actress Danai Gurira breaks HUGE news” (with Gurira mispelled on the host site) are taking Google searches by storm. It’s all because Michonne actress Danai Gurira was revealed to have joined Avengers: Infinity War.
Gurira joins the Marvel Cinematic Universe in February as Okoye, a member of the Dora Milaje in Black Panther. From there, she will reprise the role for the third installment of the Avengers films which is currently in production. Also in production is the eighth season of The Walking Dead.
While Gurira can’t be in two places at the same time, in this case, she will be.
The Walking Dead films in Senoia, Georgia, for the most part — with some shoots taking place at Tyler Perry Studios closer to Atlanta. Avengers: Infinity War is currently coming together at Pinewood Studios, located in Fayetteville, Georgia. Pinewood Studios and Raleigh Studios (home of The Walking Dead) are a 15 minute drive from one another if the driver, at a slow Sunday cruise pace.
In other words: Gurira can film both Avengers: Infinity War and The Walking Dead Season 8. We have no reason to believe Gurira is exiting the AMC series in favor of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
More Walking Dead
MORE WALKING DEAD: Season 8 Trailer Details Revealed / FTWD Teases Mutant Super Zombie / Steven Yeun Breaks Silence Since Leaving TWD / Is Jadis Going To A Whisperer? / FTWD: Who Killed Spoiler Revealed / Ross Marquand Promises A Massive TWD Season 8 / How Fear’s Madison Might Be Connected To TWD
Fear the Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 pm ET on AMC. The Walking Dead will return for its eighth season in October of 2017. The first trailer is expected to arrive at San Diego Comic Con in July. For complete coverage and insider info all off-season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.
