Walking Dead: Chandler Riggs Thought Carl Would Never Be Killed Off – Screen Rant

Carl Grimes actor, Chandler Riggs never thought his Walking Dead character would be killed off - until he was. The long-running AMC show is based on the Image Comic series of the same name created by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, and Tony Moore. AMC's The Walking Deaddebuted in 2010 and in just a few years time became a ratings juggernaut for the channel.More recent seasonshaven't proven to beas popular, but The Walking Dead remains a staple for the network, spawning spinoffs and an upcoming film.

Riggs joined The Walking Dead as Carl, son of the show's protagonist, Rick Grimes, when he was only 10 years old. His popularity among fans would fluctuate across the seasons, but by the time The Walking Dead season 8 began, many felt that Riggs was giving some of his bestperformances as the teenage Carl. Season 8 would see Carl become a voice of reason, often calling on others to act with more compassion. Sadly, this is also what led to his deathwhen he was bitten by a walker while rescuing Siddig. Still, Carl didn't let the bite keep him fromdistracting Negan and the Saviors so that his fellow Alexandrians could escape the besieged town, meaning that the young Grimes went out a real hero.

Related:The Walking Dead Killed Off Carl For The Wrong Reasons

During a recent appearance at Fan Expo Vancouver, Riggs shared during a Q&A panel that he never imagined Carl would actually die because, unlike in the show, Carl survives until the very end of The Walking Dead comics. Of course, at the time of his character's death, The Walking Dead comics were still unfinished, butCarl in the comics had already outlasted Carl on the TV show. You'll find Riggs' comments below (via ComicBook.com):

"In the comics, Carl lives until the end. So I didnt think that Carls story would end at any point. I found out when we were doing rehearsals for episode 6 of season 8. I was pretty bummed out at the time, but now I get to go on and do other things. Its fun, its really fun being able to explore other roles and be able to actually audition for films and whatnot. When I was on the show, I was locked into the show. I couldnt do anything else. So its really cool to be able to do other things in the meantime when Im not working."

The Walking Dead comic book series came to an end in July 2019 and its final issue features a story set years in the future in where anadult Carllives a happy andrelatively safe life with his wife and daughter. This final installment, The Walking Dead #193, explores the world Rick manages to create not just for his son, but for everyone, and it's a satisfying and emotional conclusion to the long-running series. The ending ofThe Walking Dead comic was also a complete shock to fans, with Image having even released solicitations for upcoming issues, only to surprise fans with the series' final issue the day of release.

Still, even without knowing that Carl would survive until the very end of The Walking Dead comics, it's clear to see why his character's death came as a surprise to Riggs. For many,The Walking Dead was alwaysRick and Carl'sstory, and not having them init would becrazy. Of course, neither Rick nor Carl are in the TV show any longer, though Andrew Lincoln is returning as Rick for The Walking Dead movie. That isn't an option for Riggs, though, seeing as his character actually died, unlike Rick who most characters just believe is dead. Doesn't sound like he's too upset about it though, and it's allowed Riggs to branch out into new parts, like his recurring role on ABC's A Million Little Things.

More:The Walking Dead Has Already Replaced Carl Grimes

The Walking Dead season 10 returns Sunday, Febuary 23rd at 9pm/8c on AMC.

Source: ComicBook.com

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Sarah Moran has been a Screen Rant contributor since 2014. She primarily writes reviews and features in addition to covering the ongoing development of current movies and television shows. Sarah is a graduate of The Ohio State University where she earned her B.A. in Film Studies in 2009. Her most recent assignments for Screen Rant include (but are not limited to): The Flash, Star Wars Rebels, The Walking Dead, and Game of Thrones.

Sarah is also the Editor-in-Chief of Kabooooom.com, a website devoted to reviewing, ranting, and raving about comic books and all they inspire. When shes not trying to transform her rambling thoughts into written words, Sarah can be found playing SMITE, catching up on her pull list, or escaping through travel documentaries on Netflix. For more of Sarahs exploits, give her a follow on Twitter.

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Walking Dead: Chandler Riggs Thought Carl Would Never Be Killed Off - Screen Rant