The “Door Remains Open” for Danai Gurira’s Michonne to Return to The Walking Dead

After sending off Danai Gurira‘s Michonne in Season 10 episode 13, “What We Become,” showrunner Angela Kang says the “door remains open” for Gurira to one day return to The Walking Dead. Gurira’s exit episode ended with Michonne, taken to a naval base on Bloodsworth Island by Virgil (Kevin Carroll), uncovering evidence her long-missing and believed dead partner Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) survived a bridge explosion some six years earlier. After radioing daughter Judith (Cailey Fleming), who gave her mother permission to leave and bring the “Brave Man” home, Michonne travelled north to follow her only lead on Rick.

“I mean, I think we’ve got to live in the world where the characters live. I think they do have hope that maybe she can come back again,” Kang told Deadline, “and obviously, for the sake of the universe, but that’s not really my realm.”

It’s the realm of former Walking Dead showrunner turned chief content officer Scott Gimple, who has hinted at Michonne first reappearing in a spinoff series before joining Lincoln in the Walking Dead feature films.

“The hope is that, you know, there’s some story for her there in a cinematic format,” Kang said. “But you know, that door remains open if need be.”

Kang made similar comments after writing out Lincoln’s Rick Grimes a season earlier, telling Deadline in November she would “love it” if Lincoln returned. “The door is always open,” Kang said. “Andy, you can come back any time.”

Both Lincoln and Gimple have declared Lincoln will not be returning to the television series. Instead, Rick’s story will continue to unfold in the first Walking Dead feature films planned as a trilogy to release in theaters.

Currently, the knowledge Rick is alive but likely being held somewhere against his will is a secret kept between Michonne and Judith. In “The Tower,” Judith informed Daryl about her mother being away but did not tell him about Rick.

“When Judith tells Daryl her mom left, she kind of lets it all out. She kind of tells him why she’s been so different lately and everything that’s been happening,” Fleming said on Talking Dead. “But I think she doesn’t tell him about Rick because Daryl and Rick were best friends, like brothers. Maybe if she did tell him that’s what [Michonne] was gonna go do, then maybe he would leave to help her go find him. And I don’t think she wants him to leave, because that’s her uncle. That’s all she has left.”

The Walking Dead next airs “A Certain Doom” as a special episode later this year. For all things TWD, follow the author @CameronBonomolo on Twitter.