‘The Walking Dead’ Showrunner Reveals Major Changes to Maggie

Heading into Season 9 of The Walking Dead, Maggie Rhee, the newly-crowned leader of Hilltop, is going through quite a few changes.

In addition to the changes brought on by the time jump, and the birth of her son, Maggie (Lauren Cohan) will be getting a brand new style in Season 9. She’s also going to find out what it’s like to lead people toward a better life, without constantly living in fear of Negan and the Saviors.

This week, new showrunner Angela Kang spent some time telling AMC about the upcoming ninth season of the series, and she had a lot to say about what’s next for Maggie. Along with a couple of new photos, Kang revealed that Maggie is genuinely thriving in her leadership role.

“Here, we’re seeing a new look for both Maggie and the Hilltop,” Kang said. “The most obvious change for Maggie is that her hair has grown out, but she’s also standing on the balcony of the Barrington House as if it’s home (which it is now), looking out at her thriving community, where we see several new elements within the walls. Comic book readers might recognize the communal tables and picnic area on the lawn below Maggie. To the left, we can catch a glimpse of the row of trailers, and the edge of a new structure attached to them. There’s a water tower… a gate is open to the outside. And there’s a goat!”

Kang also noted that Maggie’s updated attire will provide a major callback to the comics. A lot of her new clothes are inspired by the character at this point in Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard’s source material.

“This is all part of the story of how much time has passed and the type of leader Maggie is and how Hilltop is doing relative to the other communities. (Oh, and the style of her shirt is a nod to Maggie in the comics at this stage of the story!)”

Unfortunately, this new version of Maggie won’t be around for long. Lauren Cohan is stepping away from the role after nearly seven seasons on the show. She will make her exit at some point in the first half of the new season, but has said that her final episode “open-ended,” leaving room for a return in the future.

What do you think about the changes coming to Maggie in The Walking Dead Season 9? Let us know by dropping a line in the comments below!

Fear the Walking Dead returns for the back half of its fourth season on Sunday, Aug. 12 at 9 p.m. ET on AMC. The Walking Dead returns for its ninth season on Oct. 7, 2018. For more updates and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter!