'The Walking Dead' Season 9: Lauren Cohan Still Isn't a Definite as Exit Rumors Swirl

By Jessica Ferrera, Christian Post Contributor Friday, February 23, 2018

Rumors that Lauren Cohan might leave "The Walking Dead" have been swirling around due to the fact that she has not yet signed a contract for the ninth season of the show.

Cohan plays one of the lead characters of the show, Maggie Rhee, who is currently the leader of the Hilltop Colony as they wage an all-out war against Negan's (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) Saviors. However, some fans fear that Cohan's stay in the show could be hanging in the balance as she has yet to sign a contract for Season 9.

Apart from not having a Season 9 contract yet for "The Walking Dead," it was also confirmed that Cohan would be portraying one of the lead characters in ABC's upcoming action-dramedy "Whiskey Cavalier."

It is important to note that the lack of a Season 9 contract with AMC does not necessarily mean she will no longer join the next installment of "The Walking Dead." However, sources of The Hollywood Reporter also revealed that there was a deeper reason why AMC and Cohan's camp had yet to reach a deal.

Cohan is reportedly "battling" with AMC over the salary being offered to her for Season 9. On top of this conflict, it was said that she had also been looking for a new TV series role, which she found with ABC.

THR mentioned that Cohan was not demanding to be paid the same amount as her fellow male cast members Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus. However, AMC and her representatives have reportedly been trying to find a common ground when it comes to adjusting her salary for Season 9 for several months now but still to no avail.

If AMC and Cohan's team agree on a deal in time for "The Walking Dead" Season 9, reports suggest that there could be drastic changes seen either on the zombie apocalypse series or ABC's upcoming show.

Entertainment Weekly said that if Cohan ends up remaining a series regular in "The Walking Dead" Season 9, "Whiskey Cavalry" will have to be pushed back for a mid-season premiere next year. There is also a chance that she could get fewer scenes on the new installment of her older show while the upcoming one's time table remains untouched.

In an earlier interview with "The Walking Dead" showrunner Scott Gimple with TVLine, he recognized the uncertainty of having Maggie around for the upcoming season. "These things do happen in TV," he said on the possibility of a Maggie-less Season 9. "But we're talking," he added.