‘Maggie is actually an anti-heroine’: Lauren Cohan on her character in Walking Dead spin-off

What made you decide to extend Maggie’s adventures after The Walking Dead ended?

Lauren Cohan (Maggie’s translator): I don’t think we really explored Maggie’s character in the main series The Walking Dead. There were so many characters and stories that we didn’t quite get to the bottom of this character’s story, which holds a special place in my heart, especially after all these years.

While creating Dead City, I read a story about a man who became close to his daughter’s killer. I have also read similar stories of other people having unusual experiences with unpredictable endings. I wanted to see how Maggie would develop after the main series ended. I also wanted to know how her relationship with Negan would develop.

He might never forgive her, but he might at least forgive himself. This character is so complex that this new series offers us an extra chance to understand her and show us what she’s really capable of. I could not miss this opportunity!

I really wanted to know her relationship with Negan. It’s rare for a TV series to be able to spawn a spin-off that adds something new and deeper on a human level.

Can Maggie forgive Negan? What relationship can it have with him?

She thinks she can change. I want to believe that we all have the ability to change, to improve ourselves. If you think it’s possible for others, then it should be possible for you.

There is little hope that things will work out between them, but it will take time and nothing is less certain. There will be so many steps to take before he can consider forgiving Negan. Let’s see what happens in the episodes.

This series takes place several years after the end of the main series The Walking Dead. How are the characters of Maggie and Negan different in this new series?

True, the characters have changed in Dead City. They came out more mature from their previous adventures. It’s amazing to me how they’ve changed in everything, especially since the Walking Dead series started. This series is almost a new beginning for them.

But they still remain emotionally distant. We will learn in this first season of Dead City how much these two characters have in common and how strong they are on certain levels and more vulnerable on others.

Maggie is a sort of successor to Sarah Connor and Ellen Ripley in the series. What type of heroine is she really?

I don’t really see her as a hero, even though she looks a lot like Sarah Connor and Ellen Ripley. Maggie is actually an anti-heroine. This series asks the following question: What is a hero and is there a real hero or a real hero among us? Just because she seems like a hero to us because of her actions doesn’t necessarily mean that Maggie is a real hero.

Finally, what does the world of The Walking Dead represent to you?

I don’t think this is a story trying to warn us of what the future holds. Even if this series seems to make us understand that we need to find real meaning in our existence and how it can help us move forward on the right path of our destiny.

This series makes me think that we are the result of all the experiences we go through, all the challenges we face. Ultimately, what doesn’t kill us makes us grow and make us stronger. The message is definitely to have compassion for others and always try to put yourself in their shoes.

It is always about questioning yourself and starting your own inner evolution. True heroes are those who learn to survive by any means possible and always reinvent themselves, come back bigger and stronger.