New ‘Fear The Walking Dead’ 4B Posters Put Spotlight on Morgan

AMC has released a pair of new Fear The Walking Dead posters featuring Morgan (Lennie James) ahead of the series’ mid-season return.

The longtime Walking Dead star will receive top billing moving forward following the mid-season finale death of original series lead Madison Clark and the subsequent exit of actress Kim Dickens.

Morgan-centric advertising reaffirms beliefs — and, for some, fears — that the show has transitioned away from its original focus on the Clark clan to a new narrative centered around The Walking Dead transplant, who jumped from the flagship series to the spinoff as part of a crossover event that launched season 4.

Fear underwent a semi-reboot following co-creator and three-season showrunner Dave Erickson’s exit from the series. Scott Gimple, former five-season showrunner on The Walking Dead, took up an executive producer role on the spinoff franchise following his promotion to Chief Content Officer for the Walking Dead brand.

Once Upon a Time EPs Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg were installed as showrunners and with them, the smaller cast of Fear grew to include franchise newcomers Garret Dillahunt (John Dorie), Althea (Maggie Grace), Charlie (Alexa Nisenson) and June (Jenna Elfman), joining Alycia Debnam-Carey (Alicia Clark), Colman Domingo (Victor Strand) and Danay García (Luciana).

The back half of season 4 will expand further with the additions of new cast members Mo Collins (Parks and Recreation), Aaron Stanford (12 Monkeys), Stephen Henderson (Lady Bird), Daryl Mitchell (NCIS: New Orleans) and Tonya Pinkins (Gotham).

Despite Morgan’s front-and-center elevation, Chambliss and Goldberg insist the show remains an ensemble moving forward.

“I think we would say it’s definitely an ensemble show, and going forward the questions that these characters have really been dealing with are, now that Madison’s gone, how do they relate to each other, how do they move forward, where do they go, what do they do?” Chambliss told Forbes. “These are questions that everyone, both individually and as a group, are going to be wrestling with. So I think for those reasons we really do see it as a true ensemble show.”

Fear‘s characters will spend much of the next half separated and traveling, and will combat the elements as they weather a nasty storm.

AMC announced Sunday the series was officially renewed for a fifth season. Fear The Walking Dead returns with its mid-season premiere Sunday, August 12.