'The Walking Dead' EP Is "Incredibly Hopeful" Lauren Cohan Will Return

So you're telling us there's a chance!

Fans of The Walking Dead have been experiencing a bit of panic over the last couple of weeks, as rumors have been swirling regarding Lauren Cohan's potential exit from the series. Fortunately, executive producer Scott Gimple remains optimistic that a deal between Cohan and the series will be reached soon, and that she will be back for Season 9.

While speaking with TVLine, Gimple said that he was "incredibly hopeful about" a new deal being reached with Cohan, who has played Maggie ever since Season 2.

The rumors about Maggie's future on the show came into question when it was reported that Cohan hadn't officially signed a deal for Season 9, and that she was one of the performers fielding a ton of offers during the current pilot season. There are apparently multiple networks hoping to enlist Cohan's services, casting her in one of their upcoming pilots.

Gimple, who has previously served as Walking Dead showrunner but was recently promoted to chief content officer over the entire horror franchise, knows that an actress as talented as Cohan could have her choice of any number of new series. "These things to happen in TV," the EP noted. "But we're talking." Even in the face of multiple exits, Chandler Riggs' Carl being killed off, Lennie James moving to Fear the Walking Dead, Gimple has hope that Maggie will still be around come October.

Maggie has come a long way since arriving on the show in Season 2. After falling in love with Glenn, and becoming a key part of Rick's group of survivors, Maggie has stepped out on her own as a leader. Now she has taken charge of the Hilltop community, and she's got a baby on the way.

"Lauren is an actor who has such intuition and power," Gimple said of Cohan. "So yeah, hopefully, it all works out."

The Walking Dead returns for its midseason premiere on Sunday, February 25 at 9pm ET on AMC.