Another one bites the dust.  After much speculation, Danai Gurira will exit the show that made her famous, ‘The Walking Dead’ during Season 10.  Her departure follows those of Andrew Lincoln, Chandler Riggs, and Lauren Cohan.  Lincoln, at least, will reprise his role as Rick Grimes in three made-for-TV movies.  Riggs’ character, Carl Grimes, was killed off.  The door is open for Cohan to revisit the ‘Walking Dead’ universe in some capacity, but she has moved on to a new series, ABC’s ‘Whisky Cavalier’.

Reportedly, Gurira is expected to follow Lincoln’s footsteps and reprise her role as the katana-swinging Michonne in three films.  She is expected to only appear in a “handful” of episodes in Season 10.  This is the same information used to described Lincoln’s and Cohan’s appearances in the current Season 9, following the announcements that they were also exiting the series.

Michonne was by far the most popular character in Robert Kirkman’s ‘The Walking Dead’ comic books, which serve as the basis for the show.  Upon her introduction in Season 3, Gurira’s Michonne similarly became one of the most beloved characters on the show.

Last year, Gurira starred in the two top-grossing movies, ‘Black Panther’ and ‘Avengers: Infinity War’, as the warrior woman Okoye.  In addition to further Marvel Studios movies, Gurira is starring in ‘Godzilla Vs. Kong’, so her leaving ‘The Walking Dead’ comes as her big screen career is taking off.

Prior to this announcement, it was disclosed that co-star Norman Reedus was taking over as the show’s lead, following Lincoln’s exit.  Reedus’ deal is reported to be worth between $50-$90 million.  Meanwhile, Melissa McBride‘s contract is now worth $20 million to be paid out over three years.  Both their contracts are all-encompassing, so that their payments are guaranteed whether they remain on the core ‘Walking Dead’ series or transition over to a spin-off, movie series, online content or some other programming set within that universe.

What do you think?  Are you shocked that Danai Gurira is departing ‘The Walking Dead’?  Can the show survive much longer after losing so many important characters?

Source: The Hollywood Reporter