The Walking Dead Showrunner Teases “Epic Sh*t” for Danai Gurira’s Final Season as Michonne

There’s “epic sh-t” planned for Danai Gurira‘s Michonne in her final season of The Walking Dead, says showrunner Angela Kang.

“I cannot really say much about that. Just please watch,” Kang told EW. “We know that this is Danai’s final season and there’s going to be some really cool epic sh-t, is what I can say.”

Season 10 marks the end of Gurira’s eight-season run as the katana-wielding zombie slayer. An emotional Gurira confirmed her departure at San Diego Comic-Con in July, where the star admitted her decision to leave was a “very difficult one.” For Kang, who assumed showrunning duties in Season 9 — where she was tasked with having to write out Rick Grimes star Andrew Lincoln — the series veteran writer-producer took the same level of care with Gurira’s departure.

“Danai, she’s been here since Season 3, and her importance to the show just cannot be overstated. The mark that she’s left, the excellence that she brings every day, her professionalism, her passion, all of that, it’s been a remarkable journey that we’ve been on with her,” Kang said at Comic-Con. “And it’s also been remarkable to see her blooming and spreading her wings out in the world as well. I think for all of us on the writing side, we take that responsibility really seriously.

Because Michonne is “a character that’s important to us, important to the fans,” Kang added, the writers approached Gurira’s last episodes “with the same level of seriousness and wanting to do right by this incredible actress as well as the story. I hope we haven’t screwed it up.”

Gurira later revealed she had a say in Michonne’s Season 10 story, telling the Los Angeles Times, “I was allowed to be a collaborator. But they created a very, very, very sound structure of how Michonne exits, which I was very thankful for.”

The star was tight-lipped when asked if she could transition into the movie side of the franchise to be headlined by Lincoln, who reprises his role as Rick across a trilogy headed to theaters. Despite the secrecy surrounding her final season, franchise chief content officer Scott Gimple appeared to hint Gurira’s exit from the show isn’t the end of Michonne in TWD Universe:

“She has some amazing things ahead of her and we’re not completely done with her, I’ll say that,” Gimple said during a Season 10 press conference at Comic-Con. “We’re not completely done with anyone who comes and goes on the show. But she has some amazing things ahead.”

The Walking Dead kicks off Gurira’s final season with a fiery action scene in the Season 10 premiere, airing Sunday, Oct. 6 at 9/8c on AMC. Customers subscribed to AMC Premiere can view the episode one week early.

For more TWD Season 10 intel, follow the author @CameronBonomolo on Twitter.