‘The Walking Dead’ Season 9 Beefing Up Danai Gurira’s Role

Danai Gurira’s Michonne will have more to do in The Walking Dead season 9.

“Michonne definitely has a meaty arc this season, and it’s one that unfolds in a way that I hope will be interesting to our viewers,” new season 9 showrunner Angela Kang told The Hollywood Reporter.

“Danai and I have been having a great time discussing her character this season. We’re trying to see what other shades we can bring into this character and this role because she has depth as an actor and is such a smart actor. We’re loving writing for Michonne and there’s going to be some cool stuff for fans to see that will hopefully be surprising.”

Asked about Gurira potentially being the next to exit the series after Rick Grimes actor Andrew Lincoln because of her blossoming movie career, Kang admitted she doesn’t know who they could lose post-season 9, but said there’s much in store for Michonne.

“She’s definitely a series regular this season, and then beyond that — that is out of my realm,” she said. “We just know that we have lots of story we want to tell with Michonne.”

Losing longtime series stars Lincoln and Lauren Cohan going into season 9 means elevating other characters into heftier roles — and should Rick Grimes die, the series has already laid the groundwork for Michonne potentially assuming the mantle as leader.

“We started telling a story at the end of last season without Carl, and since there’s so many great characters on the show, different people will step up. It’ll never fill the exact gap that a character leaves but there are other people whose stories will come to the forefront in great ways,” Kang said, explaining that “the world of The Walking Dead moves on with whoever we have at the moment. It’s what we’ve always done.”

The Walking Dead insider Johnny O’Dell of Skybound teased the upcoming season will “absolutely” see Michonne step into more of a leadership role, and other changes in store for the katana-swinging warrior could come in the form of an updated look: asked if Michonne’s hairstyle will ever change, O’Dell answered, “Actually, yes.”

Michonne sat out much of season 8 and was given little to do because of conflicts with Gurira’s Marvel Studios commitments, where the actress starred as breakout Wakandan general Okoye in Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War — two mega-blockbusters that have entered the top ten highest-grossing films of all time and earned a combined $3.3 billion worldwide.

The actress is now in talks to board two other franchises in 2020’s Godzilla vs Kong and Star Trek 4.

AMC debuts the first season 9 trailer this Friday at San Diego Comic-Con. The Walking Dead returns to the network this October.