Maggie Features Heavily in ‘The Walking Dead’ Season 9 Ahead of Lauren Cohan Exit

Before Maggie Rhee actress Lauren Cohan steps away from The Walking Dead midway through Season Nine, the series will heavily feature the Hilltop leader and new single mother as she helps lead the charge when ushering in a better and brighter future — for almost everyone.

“You know, we really wanted to focus, and concentrate on a great story for Maggie, knowing that she was going to head off and do this show,” executive producer and director Greg Nicotero told INSIDER. “But to be really honest, there, I think that it’s safe to say that that could be left open-ended.”

“Me personally, I feel we’ll probably be seeing Maggie a little more than people think,” he added.

Cohan echoed the director-producer’s comments when she characterized her exit as an impermanent stepping away in a conversation with Andy Cohen.

“My Walking Dead story is open, it’s not finished,” Cohan said. “You don’t break up with someone and forget about them and delete them from your life, no, things transition into different places.”

She elaborated on that open-ended exit with People, telling the magazine that “the possibilities for how Maggie remains in the story and re-enters the story… are multitudinous.”

Maggie takes a central focus in the first three episodes of the season, particularly anchoring the Season Nine premiere with a heavy dose of drama and conflict doled out at the Hilltop, which Maggie has since built-up into the most well-off community with the help of the “Key to a Future” blueprints passed along to her by mysterious benefactor Georgie (Jayne Atkinson), who keeps in touch with the farming community by way of letters.

Cohan is open to returning, previously saying Maggie’s final episode comes in episode 906 — the first episode after Rick (Andrew Lincoln) makes his exit — which the actress teased is a milestone episode.

“I’m in the first six episodes of the show, and then a lot happens in the sixth episode of the show,” Cohan told People.

Cohan ended her seven-and-a-half season tenure to headline upcoming ABC spy dramedy Whiskey Cavalier, which was ordered to series in May.

The Walking Dead Season Nine premieres Sunday, October 7 on AMC.