'It Was Hard’: Danai Gurira Opens Up About Carl Reveal On ‘The Walking Dead’ Season 8 Midseason Finale
Walking Dead actress Danai Gurira talks about her reaction to that big Carl reveal and suffice to say, she was as devastated as everyone else.
A Considerable Loss
The revelation that the beloved young character had been bitten by a zombie and therefore, likely wouldn't be surviving much longer, was a major blow to fans of the long-running show. The big moment came at the close of the Season 8 midseason finale, leaving fans chomping at the bit to find out what happened when the show returns later this month.
Showrunner Scott Gimple already confirmed that he had a difficult time with losing Carl, who is played by 18-year-old Chandler Riggs.
Now, costar Danai Gurira, who plays Michonne on The Walking Dead, has echoed her sentiments.
"I got a little depressed for a while. Straight up. You're in the story. You're in it, and you're also in a family. It was hard," admitted Gurira.
Michonne shared a tight bond with Carl, standing as his surrogate mother of sorts, as the two essentially fought to survive together. Gurira is heartbroken for her character to lose that close-knit relationship.
"Carl and Chandler are a blessing to Michonne and to Danai, you know what I mean? I adore Chandler, and [for] Michonne, Carl is her healer. Everything she and Rick do is to protect Carl, so this is kind of the worst nightmare realized for him to reveal [the bite] at the end of the last episode," Gurira said.
Of course, Carl hasn't bowed out of the blockbuster show just yet. Fans will have a chance to see the character one last time when the next episode airs, even if it's just to say a proper goodbye to him.
Carving Their Own Path
The shocking reveal solidifies the show's very deliberate move away from the comics on which it's based. In the long-running graphic novels, Carl is still alive, which means there's a potential for more big shocks along the way. The show returns to the small screens on Feb. 25 at 9 p.m. on AMC.
Teenage actor Riggs shouldn't be lacking in jobs, as he already has a couple movies in the pipeline to bridge the gap after Walking Dead. However, it's Gurira whose career trajectory is a major talking point at the moment, thanks to her involvement in Black Panther.
The latest Marvel movie, its first with an African-American hero front and center along with a mostly black cast, is being heralded as one of the studio's best and most exciting releases yet.
Gurira, meanwhile, has been labeled the film's MVP as the kick-ass General Okoye, the closest and most trusted advisor to Chadwick Boseman's titular hero, and the newly crowned King of Wakanda.
