When The Walking Dead returns it will be the last episode featuring Chandler Riggs as Carl.
The mid-season finale of The Walking Dead revealed that Carl had been bitting by a Walker, which hasn’t sat well with not only the fans, but Chandler Riggs’ father who revealed that his son had been fired.
“Watching Gimple fire my son 2 weeks before his 18th birthday after telling him they wanted him for the next 3 years was disappointing,” William Riggs posted on Facebook. “I never trusted Gimple or AMC but Chandler did. I know how much it hurt him. But we absolutely know how lucky we have been to be a part of it all and appreciate all the love from fans all these years.”
Now it’s learned that Norman Reedus, who plays the fan-favorite character Daryl, is not happy by Carl getting killed off on The Walking Dead as well.
“I was desperately unhappy about that,” Reedus told EW. “I’ve seen Chandler grow up from a little boy. I’ve known that kid so long, and it always hurts when you lose a family member on the show. Chandler is definitely a family member to me. I was not happy about it. I always thought Chandler would be the last man standing, to be honest.”
Norman Reedus isn’t the only one who thought Carl would be the last man standing as some fans thought the torch would eventually be passed to him, and in addition, Carl is still alive and kicking in The Walking Dead comic book. Reedus continues with mention that care should be taken that the TV series doesn’t change too much.
“The people that started this show, to me, are the heart of the show,” Reedus said. “When you lose those key members, it’s such a big blow to the show, and to the fans, and to us that are there. Who’s left? There’s only a few of us left out of all those people. If you wanted to turn it into a totally different show, you get rid of those people. But if you want to hold onto what made the show special, you’ve got to be very careful what you do with those people.”
Norman Reedus also says he wishes for nothing but the best for Chander Riggs.
“I love Chandler. He’s very talented, and he’s very driven, and he’s going to do great,” Reedus said.
With fans so upset, The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman recently defended the death of Carl.
“I know that some fans online have been very upset, but that’s by design,” said Kirkman. “We’re not supposed to be happy when these characters die. We are supposed to be worried about what comes next, and anticipating what comes next, and stressing about what comes next. That just shows that you’re engaged and you’re interested. Our job is to now pay that off and fulfill that interest, and prove that this was a decision worth making. That’s what we’ve got to do.”
And interestingly enough, Andrew Lincoln also has been contemplating leaving The Walking Dead,
“There’s only so many ways you can bend and stretch this and that,” Lincoln said. “I’m not saying that the show would ever finish, but I certainly think that there’s an opportunity for the show to change at some point, and I think it should.”
The Walking Dead returns with the death of Carl on Sunday, February 25th on ABC at 9pm EST. Watch a preview:
