The Walking Dead: 3 ways Lauren Cohan could return after Whiskey Cavalier’s cancellation

Lauren Cohan left The Walking Dead to work on Whiskey Cavalier. Now that it’s been cancelled, Maggie could become the central figure of The Walking Dead.

There’s been speculation for weeks about whether or not Whiskey Cavalier, the ABC show that Lauren Cohan left The Walking Dead to star in, would be renewed for a second season. The show was dogged by poor ratings and was on the bubble for renewal. On Sunday, it was announced that the show wasn’t getting a second season.

That means that Cohan is potentially free to come back to The Walking Dead as a central leadership figure. Maggie was written out of the show in the first half of season 9. Her absence was never really explained, but it was mentioned that she was with Georgie and she sent letters regularly to Jesus and Tara at Hilltop.

After Rick’s disappearance, Michonne largely became the central leader in the show, but it was announced earlier this year that Danai Gurira would be leaving the show in season 10. Gurira’s departure — along with the deaths of major characters like Jesus, Tara, and Enid in season 9 — means that The Walking Dead will have a leadership vacuum to fill.

It would make sense for Maggie to fill that vacuum, because she’s one of the few remaining (almost) original characters. She has strong leadership and community building skills. However, with the new direction that the show is taking, the story might do better with a new leader other than Maggie. Here are three ways that it could play out.

A cold welcome at Hilltop

Maggie was written out of the show before the huge time jump. It would be wonderful to see Maggie and Baby Hershel return to the Hilltop, but she may not be welcomed back as the leader. She left the Hilltop under unknown circumstances that may not have been friendly.

Maggie did win the vote of the community to be their leader, but she also made some very unpopular decisions. Now that she’s been gone for more than six years, the community may not want her to be their leader. Hilltop has had a lot of losses. They may very well prefer to have someone who has been part of the community for those six years lead them.

Maggie goes back to Alexandria

When Michonne exits the series it could make sense for Maggie and Baby Hershel to return to Alexandria. Carol and Daryl have both come home to Alexandria, and it would make sense for Maggie to go back there too. Maggie could never take Michonne’s place, but she could help the community in other ways.

It seems like Alexandria isn’t doing so well producing crops and keeping the community growing; Maggie could definitely help with that. Her long absence might also be more quickly forgiven by the people who have been with her since the early days on Hershel’s farm.

A new direction entirely

The Walking Dead started a new chapter in season 9 and in the coming season 10 the communities are going to need strong leaders who can adapt to the new threat of the Whisperers. Now that Cohan is free to return to The Walking Dead if she chooses, Maggie could be a valuable asset fighting Alpha and the Whisperers — so long as she is ready to prove to the people in the communities she left behind that she is there to stay and committed to doing whatever it takes to protect the communities.

Would you want to see Maggie back in action on The Walking Dead?